Vegeta Muyo!
by llwchwr
Summary: This is my first fanfiction, i am currently still working on it and this is the second draft rewrite. A year after the Buu saga the z warriors continue life in peace until tragedy strikes, a family is shattered and hearts broken. One Saiyan excommunicates himself and lives as a hermit training day and night until one day a visitor falls from the skies, and she isn't the only one...
1. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter1 Prologue and Day 1

Vegeta Muyo

Chapter 1

It has been one year on the planet Earth since the defeat of Majin Buu and that year has been one of peace. Yet despite this peace, the Z fighters still train relentlessly in preparation to defend the world once again from whatever evil that may arise. One in particular is training excessively more than the others and his name is Vegeta: a short man of 5'6 with long, upward spiked hair and a very pronounced widow's peak. Vegeta, the prince of the near extinct race of Saiyans, came to Earth thirteen years ago as a mercenary for the galactic tyrant Frieza searching for the mystical dragonballs that could grant any wish. His defeat at the hands of the only other surviving Saiyan Goku left a bitter taste in his mouth and he has vowed to defeat the low class warrior, but so far has not succeeded.

As the years passed he no longer strove for the dragonballs and his wish for immortality, but just for surpassing the one who had bettered him. But life on the planet Earth has changed him. He has settled down with loving wife Bulma: a blue haired, intelligent scientist and inventor who was the first to set off on the quest for the dragonballs and find a small child in the forest called Goku all those years ago. His wife bore him a son, Trunks. A purple haired half breed of their two species, an impetuous and mischievous youth of 9 gifted with his father's strength and mother's intellect.

This day is like many others in the Capsule corporation household in which Vegeta and his family live. Trunks is playing with his childhood friend Goten, the second son of Goku, outside in the expansive well pruned gardens that surround the domed hemispherical house. Vegeta is on his way to train in the specialised room made for him that allows for immense amounts of artificial levels of gravity to be created and maintained when he passes his wife in the corridor leading to the training room. Bulma appears pale and unwell, only able to manage a weak, frail smile at her husband as he walks up to her.

" Feeling a bit under the weather today. I'll just go for a quick lay down, Ok dear?" Bulma says to her beloved husband. Vegeta does not appear to care about his wife's minor health problems, his mind only focused, as it always is, on his training.

" Fine, you know where I'll be." He gruffly says to her, as he strides off into the training room. Bulma slowly and weakly stumbles the short distance to her and Vegeta's room. Her knees give out, no longer able to support her, she collapses on the bed exhausted and breathing hard with increasing difficulty. Slowly her breaths become shallower and fainter. A dragging, tearing sound erupts from her throat as her circulatory system languidly shuts down and a final, lone tear runs down her face as she outstretches her hand towards the family photo by the bedside. One of the few photos she could persuade Vegeta to be in. Her cradling the new-born infant Trunks with motherly pride whilst the Saiyan prince looks on from a few feet away with just the smallest hints of a smile on his face – he always hated the photograph for the fact it shows him as the family man he has become and enjoying it nonetheless.

" … Vegeta. … Trunks. … H-help m-m-me …" She whispers these last words before all her strength fades from her body, as does her life. Her last breath rattles through her grim expression of desperation and her hand falls down inches from the framed memory. The clock in the room ticks loudly and uncaring as seconds slowly pass, a few minutes in the world of the livings tick by and her son excitedly runs into sight with a smile on his face only a child could have.

" Mum! Mum! Come look at what me and Goten can do, come on!" Trunks impatiently fidgets, jumping up and down on the spot, waiting for a response from his mother before calling to her again. When she doesn't respond the second time he senses that something is extremely wrong and approaches his mother's bedside to see what the matter is with her …

Six hundred times the Earth's gravity is being forced on Vegeta as he trains in these impossible circumstances, seemingly only slightly hindered even though his body now weighs several tons. A bead of sweat drips from his face and evaporates before it can reach the floor, burned up by its own acceleration under gravity. THUNK! The reinforced door to the training room is barged open as his son Trunks runs into the training room, showing obvious signs he cannot handle the gravity as well as his father. Tears are streaming down and exploding off of his face as he embraces his father and tugs at his clothing.

" Dad! Dad, help! Something's wrong with mum!" Beseeches Trunks to his father, who even at the best of times does not like being interrupted whilst training.

" Bulma is resting, you should leave your mother and me in peace. Go." Vegeta pulls away from Trunks' grasp and goes to continue his relentless training elsewhere in the room. Trunks follows his father with slow clunking steps and shouts at him at the top of his lungs.

" But dad, she's not breathing!" Vegeta instantly turns around to look at his son with a look of shock on his face, his eyes wide in fear and mouth hanging limply open. A cataclysmic hail of glass and tiles rain down the corridor leading out of the training room as the image of Vegeta dissipates. By the time his upset son has reached his parent's room Vegeta is already stood by his deceased wife, his face covered in shadow but his heavy breathing can be heard through gritted and clenched teeth. Apprehensively, Trunks approaches his father's side.

" Is…is mum going to be OK dad? W-what's wrong with her?" Trunks tries to look hopefully at his dad, but in his heart Trunks knows that something terrible has happened. Vegeta slowly reaches his arm out to Bulma, his arm that could punch a mountain into atoms shaking and trembling when it usually is perfectly steady. His rough, calloused fingers brush the smooth, delicate, cold and ghostly white cheeks of his betrothed. Jerking and recoiling his arm back his gaze goes to his white boots, his whole world he has built up on this planet unravelling before his eyes.

" No son, I'm afraid that … she …y-your mom …. Bulma …has …is GONE!" The pain shows clearly on his face as he exclaims this. Fresh tears cover and stain his son's distraught face.

" NO! No, she can't be! Mum! S-she's going to be OK, you'll see …w-we can revive her with the dragonballs." Hoping against hope, Trunks clings to his emotional defence of denial but his weeping eyes show that he doesn't believe what he is saying.

" Those damn balls are no good to us now! You know as well as I do, THEY DON'T WORK ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE …. HAVE NATURALLY PASSED!" He snarls at his son. Enraged by grief and storms out of the room, pounding a lorry sized hole through one of the walls. Storming along the long corridors leaving a wake of debris and destruction behind him he stops. Standing, looking out of a window in the corridor at his wife's gardens, her city, her planet. Vegeta tries to calm himself for the sake of his son, but the rage of emotions boiling within him builds, exponentially intensifying. Growls of fury begin to sound like sobs wracked from a heart torn and broken from pain, his icy demeanour having been smashed and melting into the salty waters threatening to burst forth from the dams behind his eyes. He can take it no more. Vegeta dives through the nearest window and flies off at his maximum speed. Pearls of shattered glass glistening in the sunlight fall from him like the tears he will not shed.

Many hundreds of miles away, the ground quakes and trembles at Mount Paozu as an incredibly irate widow lands. Vegeta stomps out of the crater beneath his feet and towards the two small houses in front of him dusting himself off. When he gets within 20 feet of the main dwelling a man exits the wooden door. This man is Goku, the other Saiyan, a kind hearted soul and a saviour of many with wild, spiked hair and wearing a blue gi showing off his powerful arms and sturdy chest. Goku notices Vegeta and naturally smiles and waves at his 'friend'. The rage in Vegeta flourishes before this man, his teeth bared, his eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched. He eyes Goku with a look of pure, undiluted hatred. Goku's friendly smile drops from his face as he walks up to Vegeta and senses the overflowing wrath within him.

" Fight me Kakarot." Vegeta blurts out as he thrusts his fist out in front of him, knuckles white under the gloves he constantly wears. " Let us settle the score, NOW!" Goku frowns, displeased by the mood that Vegeta is in and wondering why this sudden challenge. Ever since the defeat of Buu, Goku had thought that Vegeta had mellowed down and finally accepted his superior strength, apparently not.

" Now is not the time or place, you know you can't beat me Vegeta and what would Bulma say if -"

" SHE' S DEAD KAKAROT! DEAD!" Vegeta shouts at Goku. Taken aback by this news, a grim shadow passes over his face, deeply hurt by the news of his oldest friend passing on and praying that her soul finds peace.

" Dead? Vegeta … I-I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry -"

" Sorry isn't going to cut it! Now how many bones will I have to break before you fight back." Vegeta roars as he dashes towards Goku with a right jab which he barely manages to block in time as a flurry of savage blows begins to rain down on him. Frenzied with fury, Vegeta is going all out and pushing Goku back, blow by blow, and all the time the margin by which Goku either dodges or blocks is getting narrower and narrower. A swift uppercut to Goku's jaw is easily swiped to the side but that blow was just a diversion for Vegeta to gut punch Goku. The blow lands hammering into his stomach with great might causing Goku to double over with pain, a thin sliver of blood drooling from his mouth. Ki channels into Vegeta's fist and a neon blast tears into Goku's rocklike abdomen sending him sprawling onto the dirt strewn floor. Quickly springing back to his feet with no injuries but a charred hole in his gi, the pure hearted Saiyan stands tall with his arms by his side making no effort to take up a fighting stance. Vegeta lets loose a bloodcurdling roar charging his ki and in a brilliant flash of white-golden heavenly light he ascends to super Saiyan 2. His muscles have bulked up, his eyes turned a stunning shade of blue, hair blonde and a brilliant golden yellow and sparking aura surrounds him.

" If you aren't going to take this seriously then prepare to perish." Vegeta exclaims at Goku, who is still stood calmly making no aggressive moves towards him. Lightning arcs from his incandescence, enkindling and scorching the grass around him. Enraged by Goku's lack of cooperation, Vegeta hurls a small yellow sphere of energy zooming millimetres from his rival's head. It continues to travel and hits a far off mountain and begins burrowing and boring deep inside the rock face before a magnificent explosion envelops and vaporises the entire mountain range, leaving nothing but smoking ruin.

" That could have easily been your home, Kakarot. Fight now. Don't make me destroy this planet." Goku closes his eyes for a brief moment then his eyelids snap open, spontaneously ascending to super Saiyan 2 as well. A wicked grin plays across Vegeta's face as he jumps high in the air, using the Sun to obscure his approach, and comes down lightning quick with a double footed kick. Goku reacts instantly and grabs the other Saiyan's foot, absorbing the impact through his arm and soaking it all up, cracking the dirt floor beneath him.

The two warriors vanish off of the face of the planet and reappear in the underworld. A desolate and open rocky plain, barren and devoid of life. Random boulders and plateaus of rock are the only things to be seen under the burning, crimson skies of Hades. Vegeta twists his foot free and lands crouched, quickly surveying his surroundings before blasting a barrage of ki shots at Goku who appears behind Vegeta before any of the blasts can hit him. Detonating and ravaging the already scarred landscape, more blasts fly towards the bane of his existence, yet still none come closer to even singeing him.

" Instant Transmission. Vegeta, I'm faster than you so stop this now." Goku calmly says to Vegeta as he casually lands in front of him. Only infuriated more by this, hellfire once more rains down at empty air.

" Shut up!" Vegeta yells as he springs off the ground and shoulder barges where Goku was. Quickly pivoting on the spot Vegeta turns and continues trying to hit Goku, putting everything he has into the onslaught, but always hitting thin air no matter how fast he is or how hard he tries.

" Coward! Come and face me! Are you a Saiyan or a mouse?" Vegeta bellows at the barren expanse. Behind him Goku slowly turns showing his back to Vegeta and starts walking off to nowhere in particular. Spinning around to see his nemesis ignoring him as if he were nothing, he rushes in projecting over 20 after-images and yet still Goku manages to dodge away using Instant Transmission.

" No! I will not be made a fool again by you. NEVER! You hear me! NEVR AGAIN!" Cracks become large fissures beneath his feet, small pebbles then larger boulders within the vicinity begin to float upwards, rock vaporises into dust beneath him. A swirling storm of power circles around the mighty Saiyan as an all encompassing crater is born then deforms as it melts. Vegeta's aura brightens and increases vastly in size, reaching forth into the skies like a beacon. Goku stares at Vegeta in disbelief as he sees Vegeta's hair gradually elongating and his eyebrows disappearing from his face.

" YOU! … WILL! …FIGHT! … ME!" The enraged Saiyan thunders as both his immense rage and grief push and drive his body into the super Saiyan 3 transformation. Goku is in shock at Vegeta's newfound ability to pull off this most tricky, challenging but most importantly almighty transformation and rightly so as Vegeta moves with exponentially increased swiftness behind Goku and elbows him in the small of the back. Grasping at his back as stars daze his vision, Vegeta mercilessly knees Goku in the stomach over and over again and as Goku doubles over he uppercuts him in the face sending him flying into the air with Vegeta launching himself after his target. Crashing back down through a mountain worth of rock from the sharp impact of a head-butt from the empowered prince, Goku blasts through the tunnel of debris that buried him alive. Getting to his feet as he crawls forth from the ground, the hero of the world gets serious.

An ear-splitting yell bursts from him whilst transforming to super Saiyan 3, now with both warriors on even ground they adopt their preferred defensive fighting poses. Both of them charge at each other and a flurry of devastating blows are thrown at each other, each punch or kick sending out massive shockwaves to the surroundings and pulverising all obstacles in their way aside. As the exchange of violence continues they rise high and fly into the air so as to have more freedom in movement whilst fighting in this fated duel. A reckless kick spawned from anger by Vegeta leaves him open with his guard down and so Goku tightens his hands around the outstretched leg and flings the prince to the ground. Smashing him through many metres of solid stone then shooting several bombarding bursts of ki before Vegeta recovers and flies back up to the same altitude as Goku.

Scuff marks and lacerations cover both fighters from head to toe, a thin trickle of blood slips down one of Goku's arms and another stream of sanguine fluid starts to fill the boots of the prince. They stare at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Neither fighter daring to as both are trying to recuperate and get their breath back from the extreme physical exhaustion of their fatigued bodies. Vegeta's patience wanes thin and he advances at maximum speed towards Goku and they both disappear. Moving faster than any human or alien eye could ever follow their fight still rages. Eerie sounds of the battle carry across this decimated desert of rock, reverberating off the cold stone and echoing in the eternity of the underworld. Goku and Vegeta appear in a standoff, both drawing energy and charging up massive quantities of ki in their bodies ready to be expelled destructively in one final attack. They both reach their zenith of power and Goku moves both his cupped hands to his side whilst Vegeta outstretches his arms and palms wide, both concentrating all their gathered energy into their hands. Panting hard under the exertion of the extraordinarily large amount of ki and the super Saiyan 3 transformation, they holler the names of their signature techniques.

" KA … ME … HA … ME … HA!" Goku thrusts both hands forward and a brilliant blue wave of dazzling energy is shot forward.

" FINAL FLASH!" Vegeta slams both arms together in front of him and a shining surge of yellow energy erupts from his palms. The massive beams of energy meet and interlock, struggling in a clash against the might of the other. Forcing more and still more power and energy into their attack, both warriors yell as the ki blasts expand and broaden beyond biblical proportions. The ground ruptures and crumbles apart like breadcrumbs before this force yet still the blasts continue to engulf more and more of the sky with neither Saiyan backing down.

Vegeta's fiery blaze of his planet destroying Final flash creeps ever closer, beating back the smaller concentrated blue energy Kamehameha towards its source. Smirking with the assurance of his long awaited for victory, Vegeta puts the last bit of his energy he can muster into the blast, as it overpowers and breaks the Kamehameha, flaring towards Goku. The final flash shoots on for many hundreds of thousands of miles, scarring and destroying all land in that direction before detonating in an explosion of such magnitude it is large enough to make the whole of the underworld tremble. Exhausted, Vegeta floats back down to the nearest piece of land to stand on and pants heavily. His face hits the floor and Vegeta reverts back to base form in the dust. Goku stands beside the prone figure with one arm hanging limply from its socket and his chest bloody. Instant-transmissioning behind him during the clash of beams and striking him in the back of the neck was the only way in which Goku could survive and win. Sighing as he reverts back to base form also, he lifts Vegeta's limp and battered body over his shoulder and Instant Transmissions back home to Earth and out of the realm of the dead.

Vegeta stirs and wakes up lying on the floor, he can feel the grass tickling the patches of skin where his clothes were destroyed. A small object is placed in his mouth which he instinctively swallows. The Senzu bean immediately rejuvenates and heals him. Now with the energy to do so, Vegeta sits up and opens his eyes to see Goku next to him still beaten and injured about to swallow his Senzu bean. Without a word Vegeta leaps up into the air and flies back to his home, shedding a single tear that crystallises and freezes due to the altitude at which he is flying that falls off his face and into the endless oceans stretching out beneath him.

Several days pass, the day of Bulma's funeral arrives as do all the Z fighters to pay their respects to the woman who helped bring them all together. As the casket is lowered into the Earth and her mortal remains laid to rest the living look on and mourn her passing, all save one. The lone Saiyan prince stands in the background, distancing himself from both friends and family. His face set in stone, yielding to no emotion. He observes the mortal remains of his wife being given to the ground as one of the few strings tying him to this planet is permanently severed, a string that tugs like torture on his closed heart.

An eternity later, the ceremony is over and the proud warrior returns to his wife's home with his openly distraught and grieving son. Without pause or hesitation he purposefully strides to his son's room and packs as much as he can in one suitcase before heading off to his own room. He stops in the doorway, looking into the bedroom where he shared so much with the first woman who had loved him and he had loved back and where all that had ended. She was the first person to treat him as a 'human being' not just a thing, the first one who could reach out to him in his moments of need and comfort him. Now in his darkest hour she is gone and nothing he can do for all his power can change it.

Finally, he summons up the courage to cross the threshold and haphazardly throws what few belongings he has on this planet that isn't his into one of Bulma's capsule rucksacks. Vegeta's hand stops before the family photo on the bedside cabinet, the one his dead wife tried to reach with her cold, outstretched hands. His own arm reaches out towards it and lifts it up before his eyes, it gets thrown into the bag along with his weighted clothing. Grabbing some capsules from his father in law's lab undetected and Trunks, he leaves behind his home and tries to escape the painful memories that it holds, stealing away into the night. Answering none of the questions his confused and grief ridden son throws at him, he flies endlessly towards the starlit horizon in search of a new life, far from anyone and everything.

Many months pass, summer turns to autumn to winter then spring and summer has now returned to the world, all but one place. No sunlight has reached the heart of Vegeta since that fateful day, all he lives for now is his training more so than before. With no company or distractions, save his son, he has exiled himself far off from all others. Most would call his new house's location beautiful being situated at the foot of picturesque snowy mountains, surrounded by untouched verdant forests and at the edge of a pristine freshwater lake. Vegeta sees none of these things except for the lack of inhabitants. Living in solitude, except for the times his son returns home from school, he has stopped shaving and grown a short beard leading to an even greater resemblance to his dead father.

Today is a new day, the sun has risen glistening off of the lake, the birds in the forest singing merrily to each other and a cooling breeze rolling down from the green hills and mountains to the back of the house. His son has already flown off to school and he has just finished a punishing and arduous slog in the training room and has now gone outside for some fresh air. The slight breeze cools him down nicely as the peace of the wilderness drapes over him. His eyes quickly adjust to the exterior lighting as he examines the view but is greeted only by the sight of his dead wife's face in the lake, the sound of her voice being hollowly echoed from the bustling tree branches. Avoiding the haunting visage, he looks to the sky and takes off flying from the sight that forever lingers within his soul.

Landing back on terra firma in a rocky landscape of shrubbery and boulders, not too dissimilar from the one where he first fell from grace, he begins to train. Blasting away the mountains into rubble with the rush of air from his speedy punches. Flattened by his destruction, the scarred landscape spews volumes of dust into the air. With no other targets, Vegeta barrages the sky with flak, lighting up the sky as if it had become an inferno. A whole continent bears witness to the fireworks display before stopping, he realises that this training is beneath him and not worthy of his time for it offers up no challenge and so ceases. A flaming speck tears through the plumes of smoke in the sky, plummeting down to the Earth.

Sensing an energy reading from this falling meteor, Vegeta's interest is piqued. Flying close to the ground he skims across many leagues to where he calculates its trajectory will lead to impact and waits. Burning through the atmosphere, the object hurtles towards Vegeta at terminal velocity, soon its shape can be made out. A spaceship of unusual design: 4 dark brown prongs jutting out from a circular pink cockpit and many smaller cream coloured spikes protruding from the base of the craft. Vegeta doesn't flinch as it screams through the air looming forever closer. At the last second he raises his left arm and grabs one of the four main prongs, instantly stopping all of its momentum, taking the impact upon himself. The earth beneath him crumbles and opens up engulfing him. With only his outstretched arm left above ground in the jagged man-sized crater he releases the ship and lets it settle down with a CLANG in the dust as he scrambles out of the dirt. Covered in dust, he sits down on a nearby boulder waiting for the crew of the spaceship to reveal themselves.

The dust settles and the wasteland regains its tranquillity, a patch of tumbleweed drifts past before being incinerated. Vegeta crosses his arms in frustration and impatience that the pilot has not left their craft. A head then appears popping out of the ship. Phasing directly through the hull of the spaceship, a woman appears floating ten feet off the floor before landing and facing Vegeta. The woman is young, appearing to be in her prime with long spiky, light silvery cyan hair, elongated elf-like ears, cat like yellow irises and wearing red tights, a low cut white dress with a large black belt and a short orange and black jacket. The woman faces Vegeta who has raised his eyebrows in curiosity for never before has he seen someone phase through solid objects, he locks eyes with the predatory stare of the woman.

Both Vegeta and the woman continue to stare at each other until with a loud meow the spaceship morphs into a cabbit – a small, brown, half cat, half rabbit with extremely long ears, tufts of cream coloured fur and a red gem embedded in its forehead. Vegeta nearly loses his balance on the rock he is that taken aback by this incredulous manner of transformation, he only just remains sat on his perch. The cabbit quickly leaps onto the woman's shoulder and hisses at Vegeta with its hackles rising stiffly into the air. Her flowing hair is whipped into her face by the strong winds of the plain. She casually flicks her hair out of her eyes, eyes that narrow coldly at Vegeta as she raises her right arm to the sky. Around her small orange balls of energy materialise and whizz towards her hand until she crushes the ball of energy in her hand to form a rudimentary sword out of the crackling orange energy. With her raised sword in her arm she rushes at Vegeta viciously slicing down screaming for vengeance.

" No-one shoots me down. Don't you know who I am!" Her sword cleanly slices the boulder in half, her swipe going to the floor and leaving a small puddle of molten lava. Despite this, Vegeta has vacated his seat and is calmly walking around behind her as if nothing has happened. Unfazed by his show of speed, the woman turns and sends a quick flurry of slashes at Vegeta, which he effortlessly evades whilst standing still. Incensed by his inability to be hit she continues hacking and swiping at Vegeta yet all her blows are smoothly dodged by the minutest of movements or effort until she shouts in rage and stabs at Vegeta's muscular chest. Her sword stops centimetres from his sternum, crackling and sparking with energy at the fingertip he used to stop her blow. With minimal force he pushes the sword backwards and sends the woman staggering back several paces to keep her balance. Vegeta inspects his completely uninjured finger then cracks his knuckles one by one ominously as the woman watches frustrated by his seamless strength until it is too much. Roaring she leaps into the air and blasts him with multiple orange ki blasts. The blasts tear away at the rocky floor beneath him and dust, debris and smoke is launched into the air obscuring Vegeta from view. As the ashes and embers slowly dissipate, only a smoking crater is left beside the larger one caused by her crash-landing on Earth.

She lands and smiles, laughing triumphantly and freezes when she hears a low chuckle coming from behind her. With his leather jacket and t-shirt nearly completely burnt off of his body and small patches of soot on his otherwise perfectly unharmed skin, Vegeta smirks. The woman gapes in shock, unable to comprehend his speed and how he managed to survive what she thought was sure to be a fatal attack. In an instant Vegeta is stood menacingly in front of her, terrified she falls and stumbles backwards. As she quickly stands back up something catches Vegeta's eye. A quick darting flash of dark brown fur, the woman has a tail and not just any tail but a tail that reminded him a lot of the one he used to have before he came to this planet.

" Who are you and what is your business here on my planet? I demand answers, now!" Vegeta shouts at the woman, trying to hide his confusion caused by her tail and the possible implications of it. Calmly the woman smiles and quietly answers his question.

" Ryoko …that's my name." Spontaneously Ryoko throws herself at Vegeta, who sensing no threatening action decided not to dodge - to his mistake. She hugs and embraces Vegeta and because of his stature she is as tall or even taller than he making him extremely uncomfortable in this situation. Still surprised by this sudden turn of events, Vegeta is not too sure what to do especially when her fingers start tracing circles on his stone hard muscles. Her eyes are firmly fixed on and admiring his masculine body. She raises her head and looks at his face with a pleasant smile.

" Oh thank you ever so much for saving poor, little Ryo-ohki and me from such a horribly nasty crash. How could I ever repay a brave, gallant and handsome man for such a heroic deed?" Ryoko's intimate tone makes Vegeta uneasy but he reaches his limit when her hand starts falling down lower over his abs and even lower still. Angered by the weird behaviour of this woman he repulses her off of his person with ki causing her to reel backwards, however this time she does not fall.

" You can start by answering my questions, why are you here?" Vegeta coldly asks Ryoko not trusting her seemingly dichotomous behaviour. Ryoko drops the sugary tone and replies.

" I came here searching for the one who killed Frieza. That is I was until you shot me down." Vegeta is amused by this reply and a smile plays across his face.

" Oh, let me guess … you were a space pirate lackey of Frieza's and now, since business has all dried up, you come seeking Kakarot. You must have been one of the lucky ones that I didn't find when I cleaned up that little mess." Vegeta chuckles to himself at the memory of Frieza's defeat and the part he played in his dethroning. Ryoko doesn't like him making light of her quest that she has spent years of her life on and pursued across many star systems.

" I worked alone, Frieza was not my boss!"

" Then tell me, why wish for Kakarot's demise? For you should know that Kakarot is mine and he will meet his death at my hand alone."

" Then why haven't you done so already?" Reminded of his failures and annoyed by the quick wits of this strange women, he turns his back on her and rockets into the air returning home. Leaving Ryoko and Ryo-ohki behind as the cabbit jumps back up onto her shoulder and meows loudly at the vapour trail in the air.

The sun is setting behind the crystal peaks of the mountains when he lands outside the door to his house. Entering the undecorated hallway he tears off his ruined jacket and t-shirt throwing them onto the bannister of the stairway before turning left into the living room, striding through it past the second stairway and to the door next to it that leads to his place of escape: the gravity training room. With a swish, Ryoko appears outside the house and surveys the scene. Peeping through the large floor to ceiling window at the front of the house to see the open plan living room and flashes coming through a porthole of one of the adjoining doors. Manoeuvring her way along the perimeter of the house she sees a large metal hemisphere crudely latched onto the side of the house, light shines through the small slits of glass spaced around the exterior of the dome. She creeps towards the metallic bubble and peeks through the windows.

Inside Vegeta is pumping iron, weights of 10 tonne in each arm being curled in super Saiyan form. Startled by his radical change in appearance, Ryoko continues to watch the blonde Vegeta slog through a marathon two hour session of lifting weights and not once taking a break. Unbeknown to her the gravity in the training room is consistently rising and pushing Vegeta further and further to his limits and when the artificial gravity peaks at 1000G the strain on his body pushes Vegeta into the super Saiyan 3 transformation out of necessity. Blinding light bedazzles Ryoko as she retreats from the windows shielding her eyes from a thousand suns of illumination. As she returns the man inside is hardly recognisable with his elongated, flowing blonde hair and massive beard obscuring him as much as the godly aura pulsating from his body. However, within less than ten minutes in this state Vegeta's body fails him as he is unable to stay in super Saiyan three form for any longer, all his energy sapped away, and reverts to base form.

The weights clunk to the floor with a resounding impact on the near unbreakable tiles as Vegeta step by step slowly makes his way to the central console and switches off the artificial gravity. Collapsing to his knees panting, sweat pouring down him like a waterfall, as Ryoko continues to stare through the window awed by the physical feats she has just witnessed. Fatigued but no longer under the strain of excessive gravity or an energy consumptive form, Vegeta senses a nearby presence and raises his head to look at Ryoko's face through the glass panes. Unsurprised she followed him but shamed by her seeing him in this weakened state, he leaps to his feet and storms out of the training room. She continues to watch him through the living room window as he marches up the stairs and comes back down in his blue sleeveless Saiyan jumpsuit, ignoring the woman outside his house. The door slams open as Trunks rushes into the house.

" Dad I'm back, got some homework to do so I'll be in my room. Oh and there was someone at the door so I let her in." Vegeta bristles at the news that Ryoko has been allowed into his home and shouts at Trunks to go and commence his daily amount of training. As he looks again in the living room he sees that Ryoko is on the couch making herself comfortable, lounging about and looking curiously around the room. A photo on the table in front of her grabs her attention and she picks it up curious, Vegeta's eyes narrow as he watches her. The photo is the only one that Vegeta took with him to remind him of his past life with Bulma, the family photo that belongs at his bedside in the capsule corporation headquarters.

" Who's that girl you're with?" Ryoko asks Vegeta, pointing to Bulma in the family photo, Vegeta pretends not to hear her and continues to stand with his arms crossed staring into the room.

" That's my mom, Bulma." Trunks answers as he walks back in the room, Ryoko looks at Vegeta with a raised eyebrow.

" I thought I told you to go and train son." Vegeta calmly but coldly says to Trunks.

" But I have school work due in for tomorrow." Trunks argues to his father.

" Do you ever want to get your sword back Trunks?" Vegeta looks at his son, using this easy method to blackmail his son into training once again.

" Yeah, give it back!"

" Not until you ascend beyond super Saiyan, now go train." Vegeta dismisses the lad and Trunks slowly plods off into the training room against his will. Ryoko lets out a loud sigh drawing Vegeta's attention back to her, she smiles when she sees the tan lines on Vegeta's hand that indicate a missing wedding ring – a universal symbol of bachelorhood. She is back in the game.

" What are you doing here, in my house? You said your business was with Kakarot not me."

" Well it seems to me that you know a lot about this Kakarot guy."

" Of course, he's the only other surviving Saiyan pure blood beside me." Ryoko sits up intrigued by learning that Vegeta is a Saiyan, a race she has heard regularly in her service to Frieza but only as a hushed myth; a legend of a race of bloodthirsty warriors who would drown the universe in their unquenchable lust for war, a race that supposedly even the Cold family feared.

" Saiyans huh? Sorry about that whole asteroid destroying your planet." Vegeta frowns and a vein on his forehead starts to pulse. Reminded of his planet's destruction and the genocide of his race and family his blood starts to boil, the lies spread by Frieza continue to circulate through the far reaches of space.

" Asteroid! It was no damn asteroid! Frieza himself feared us, our potential, what we might become and so betrayed our loyalty to him! Anyway enough of that. How did you find us, it wasn't those blasted Nameks was it?"

" No, Ryo-ohki picked up off the chart energy signatures from this planet that dwarfed those of Frieza's whole race, presumably you and Kakarot." This flattery appears to calm down the anger of Vegeta as he walks towards Ryoko who follows him carefully with her eyes.

" If I give you the coordinates for Kakarot's home, will you leave me be?" .

" Umm …nope." Ryoko grins cheekily.

" Wha …Why not?!" Vegeta's anger has risen again at this unexpected answer.

" If your strength is anything to go by then I stand no chance against this Kakarot." Ryoko continues to smile innocently.

" So leave me and this planet then!"

" Nope, no can do." Ryoko lounges back into the sofa stretching out on it, irritating Vegeta even further.

" Your space animal, pet, thing looks to be in working order." Vegeta points to Ryo-ohki who is quietly cuddled up and napping on the floor.

" It's not Ryo-ohki.." Ryoko suddenly gets off the sofa and kneels before Vegeta, touching his stomach with her hands. " … It's just …I-I'm being pursued, by the Juraians, they want to imprison me and do horrible, such horrible things to me. I don't want to impose, you have already saved my life today…" Ryoko softly pleads to a completely uncaring Vegeta who is more interested in trying to remember who Juraians are than the wellbeing of Ryoko. He is sure he has heard that name before, a long time ago though when he still travelled with Nappa and Raditz.

" Sure you can stay with us, it'll be fun and we have plenty of rooms to spare." Trunks announces as he pops his head around the door from the training room.

" WHAT?! TRUNKS!" Vegeta glares threateningly at his son who quickly disappears back around the door with urgency and before he knows it the Saiyan has Ryoko trying to hug him again thanking him for being so kind and caring. This time he doesn't allow her to embrace him and with a matador-like supersonic sidestep she misses him completely. By the time Ryoko has recovered and turned around, Vegeta is making his way to leave the room.

" Hey, wait. I never got your name" Ryoko calls to Vegeta, he stops and turns his head partially towards her.

" I am Vegeta, prince of all Saiyans." With that he continues out of the room.

" A prince huh?" Ryoko smiles devilishly to herself.

Later that night in Vegeta's room, the prince is asleep in his bed, the room is pitch black and the house silent. Through the aged and worn floorboards Ryoko phases into his room, an extremely wide mischievous grin on her face as she silently and slowly flies towards the sleeping Vegeta.

" **Your** room's the next one along I believe." Vegeta's eyes suddenly snap open although still facing away from Ryoko. Her shoulders slump and she phases disappointed back from whence she came.


	2. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 2: Day 2

Chapter 2

Dawn has arrived and beams of sunlight shine around the curtains in Vegeta's room. Vegeta rolls in his sleep as his consciousness dredges itself from the depths. Heavy eyelids flicker and settle at a squint, three silhouettes dance in his field of vision and a cacophony of noise rouses him further. The sounds turn into voices, two female voices … in a heated argument, venom dripping from their tone, his mind loosely tries to piece together these nerve impulses but draws a blank as his mind tries to drift back off into the abyss again.

" DAD! Wake up dad. Get up, it's an emergency!" Trunks yells frantically at his prone, slumbering father. The word emergency seeps into his thick skull and in the blink of an eye Vegeta is up, out of bed and ready for action - more or less. Fully awake now, he sees his son by his bedside and Ryoko with another woman in the doorway at each others throats in the most fierce argument he has been witness to. The extreme sudden movement of Vegeta's rising draws their attention as they stop quarrelling and look at Vegeta. The women see the many scars of battle riddling every inch of Vegeta's abused body, the toned muscles of a Greek god … and the fact that he isn't wearing any clothes whatsoever.

" O-Oh my!" The new woman exclaims as she hides her face in her hands and quickly turns away blushing from her first sight of a man in the nude. Ryoko doesn't seem to mind in the slightest and just begins ogling at Vegeta with lust filled eyes. Trunks sighs and hangs his head low in embarrassment by what his dad has done. Realising all too late his state of undress and there being female company in his house, Vegeta stutters incomprehensibly whilst blushing and concealing his privates. Stood on display in front of two women he barely knows having just woken up, the Saiyan prince regains his composure and gets dressed into his dark blue outfit faster than the human eye could ever decipher. This predicament has not put him in a good mood.

" Trunks, what's this emergency and who is this woman?" Before Trunks can answer the woman steps forward back into the room, now the situation presenting itself has been dealt with, introducing herself.

" I am Ayeka Masaki Jurai, crown princess of the Juraian empire. I apologise for barging in like this at such an early hour in the morning, but it is a matter of utmost urgency that it is my duty to attend to." Ayeka is a young woman: with long, flowing, purple hair loosely tied back in two ponytails, a royal wood-like headdress nearly all but covered by her violet fringe, large eyes with dark pink irises and wearing a long, ornate dress of many light and summery colours.

" I am also of royal blood, for I am Prince Vegeta of the proud warrior race of Saiyans." Vegeta announces proudly. His mood somewhat lightening, but at the back of his mind he is thinking 'Great, so I flashed nobility'.

" I thought you said there were only two of you left." Ryoko interjects. Vegeta sweatdrops, his mood darkening again.

" Yes, well …. Lady Ayeka, I take it the reason you came into my home has something to do with her." The prince looks at Ryoko who is pouting innocently at him like a little puppy … a puppy sat next to a steaming pile of incriminating evidence.

" Indeed. I am here to arrest the villainous space pirate Ryoko." Ayeka looks disdainfully at Ryoko who is still trying to feign innocence. Her first deed upon her arrival being to attack Vegeta and admitting to having once been in the service of the Cold family's empire makes the efforts of Ryoko too little, too late.

" Very well, take her. This is none of my concern." Vegeta offhandedly consigns Ryoko to Ayeka with no second thought. The cyan haired space pirate immediately goes to Vegeta and starts begging and pleading for him to reconsider, throwing all of her feminine charms and wiles at him as she clings to one of his muscle-bound arms.

" No! Vegeta, please! Help me. You can't do this to me Vegeta." Ryoko's pleading falls on deaf ears as she sinks to her knees, her lips trembling and eyes gathering moisture. A nonchalant Vegeta ignores her, being immune to these charades of emotion and Ayeka lets a small smirk of triumph show on her face. The princess takes a slow step forward, encroaching on her prey. Realising that no aid will be gifted from Vegeta, Ryoko's eyes dry and harden as she loosens up her wrist. She turns to lash out at Ayeka with a vicious backhand. Small cylindrical wooden logs appear hovering in the air surrounding Ryoko causing a slight hesitation in her attack. That small delay was all that was needed to allow the floating wooden guardians to detain Ryoko in a spherical containment field. Every minute struggle the criminal makes in her captivity is harshly punished with a swift jolt of searing energy. As Ryoko finally and solemnly settles down, Ayeka approaches the captive and a small tablet device spawns into her hand as the regal lady reads Ryoko the charges against her.

" Space pirate Ryoko, you are hereby charged by the authority of Ayeka, crown princess of Jurai, for the crimes following: 5,072 counts of murder, 792 counts of grievous bodily harm, 1,605 counts of armed robbery, 6 counts of attempted murder, theft and vandalism costs going into trillions of Arian Sterling and the total destruction of 2 planets and their respective lunar objects." The contempt in Ayeka's voice is palpable, a look of disgust shot at the detainee whilst Ryoko resigns herself to her temporary fate in captivity as she tries hatching a cunning escape plan. However, one sound disturbs Ayeka's moment. A faint, low laugh escaping from the lips of the man who's house she's in.

" What's so funny? All of these horrendous crimes are capital offenses against the Juraian empire." Ayeka turns on Vegeta viciously snapping at him, her composure cracking and anger showing through.

" Trunks, go fetch Lady Ayeka **my** criminal record." As his son runs out of the room, Ryoko looks inquisitively at Vegeta wondering what he's up to and hoping it will get her out of the barrier imprisoning her. Pink and purple fabric rustle against each other as the princess backs away from him, unsure of his intent. Vegeta rubs the sleep from his eyes and cricks his neck to the right producing a sound like a gunshot as he stands waiting for his child to return. Not before long, Trunks jogs back into his father's room carrying a small metal tablet and hands it to Ayeka. Ayeka reluctantly takes the object from Trunks and fumbles with it trying to find how to work it. Eventually she manages to locate the correct button and turn it on, the screen flashes and lights up projecting its data in a 3-d field above it in the common galactic tongue. As Ayeka's eyes flash over the data skim reading it, Vegeta recites it too her.

" Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyan race, wanted universally dead hereby for the crimes of: pillaging – 576 counts, Aggravated assault - 4,587 counts, attempted murder – 7,689 counts, murder … -17,034,576,929,042 counts, genocide – 214 counts, planets destroyed - 37 … and you princess are out of your depth." Vegeta callously states to Ayeka who is now visibly shaking, the projected words becoming unreadable from the trembling in her hands. The colour drains from her face and her eyes widen as she begins to fear for her life at being at the mercy of a being capable of so much destruction, devastation and death. It all becomes too much for the faint hearted maiden as she swoons and faints falling to the floor, or she would have had it not been for Vegeta gently catching her. Her lack of consciousness causes her guardian logs to dissipate into the ether along with the barrier encapsulating Ryoko. Vegeta casually flings Ayeka onto his shoulder in a fireman's lift as Ryoko enthusiastically applauds Vegeta for her release, joyfully laughing at the sweet taste of freedom and the fact that the prince came to her rescue after all.

" We better get her back to her spaceship." Trunks suggests to his father, having let her in he feels a tad responsible for the mess and confusion sprung on their small family of two. Ryoko, still overjoyed at Vegeta helping her to escape from Ayeka, continues to shower thanks on Vegeta, drawing his attention and eyes as keen and sharp as a hawk's to her again.

" You too." Vegeta says as he reaches out and grabs her jacket collar. She tries to pull away from his strong grasp but no amount of squirming will win her freedom. As Vegeta makes his way through his house and down the staircase with an unconscious princess over his shoulder and a space pirate being dragged along he thinks to himself 'It's going to be another one of those days." .

With his kid Trunks leading the way, Vegeta exits his house nearly losing Ryoko when she phases through her own jacket and his hand. She gets no more than two feet away before his hand has discarded her jacket and locked securely around the scruff of her neck again, but this time his fingers are charged with energy hopefully inhibiting her phasing ability. Over the lake, Ayeka's spaceship majestically hovers suspended in the air by no visibly detectable means. Seemingly organic in nature and structure being made up mainly of an alien wooden material projecting from and encircling a large biosphere for the crew. Vegeta looks on at the hand carved spaceship gifted to those high in the Juraian empire. This ship differs immensely from all Vegeta has seen during his space faring days, even now when he is starting to know where he heard the name Jurai in his past, yet despite its lack of aerodynamic design he can sense a great power emanating from within the ship itself as though it were alive.

Trunks and Vegeta take off and fly towards the ship, scanning the exterior for an entrance or hangar but yielding no results. At a loss, Vegeta still continues to lug the two women around in the air with Ryoko not helping one bit, struggling and fidgeting the whole time when a misfortune occurs. His hand charged with ki keeping Ryoko under control grazes alongside the outer hull of the ship's biosphere. One long bolt of power surges over the hemispherical dome then all is quiet. The Saiyan hopes what just happened didn't as a chain reaction of small explosions course through the circuitry and electronics of the ship. All of the high-tech equipment that harnesses the power of the tree rooted dead centre in the bridge of the ship and enables it to voyage into the vast unknown that is space begin to fry, spark and disintegrate from exposure to the energy Vegeta's fist laid bare.

Ryoko recoils as does Trunks, Vegeta just lets out a long sigh and sets off back to shore cursing this stroke of bad luck. Gracefully kissing the ground with his feet and setting down Ayeka on the grass before releasing Ryoko from his grasp, his sixth sense quickly scans over the doomed spacecraft. Ryoko backs away slowly from the lake and Vegeta as the noise of the descending ship acts as smelling salts to Ayeka. The ship's fall is losing elegance and gaining speed as more flames and explosions dot and scatter across its burning surface.

Trunks looks up to his father, Vegeta looks down at his son and they both nod at each other in unison before they set off and soar towards the soon to be wreckage. Ryoko curiously eyes them from the shoreline as she witnesses the Juraian vessel touch the lake's surface and billows of smoke rise up as fire touches water. On the cold, damp grass Ayeka slowly rouses herself to this vista. Her eyebrows frown in befuddlement and then her eyes open wide in dread and astonishment as her spaceship is swallowed up before her very eyes by the vast lake. Two figures land by her side and place down two additional humanoid forms on the ground beside her.

" Wha …? No, no, noooooo! Ryuoh, my ship! Ryoko what have you done?!" Ayeka frantically exclaims, glancing about herself in disorientation and alarm.

" Hey! It wasn't me, I had nothing to do with this I swear." Ryoko for once being accused of a crime she hasn't actually committed as the one who is to blame surveys the hungry blue waves engulf the last few parts of Ryuoh's hull.

" Well Trunks, looks like our 'guests' won't be leaving here anytime soon." He turns to face Ayeka and confronts her look of anger with dispassion and resignation. " It appears the ship's sensitive electronics overloaded due to excess energy being emanated from Ryoko's restraints. I … apologise but we did rescue the rest of the crew, those two." Vegeta points to the two young girls on the ground looking about with no idea what is going on or how they got there. Ayeka notices one of the girls in particular: a youthful girl, younger than Trunks – only just though - with pink eyes and two long, bright blue pigtails.

" Sasami! Oh Sasami, are you OK? I thank you ever so much for saving my sister." Ayeka's anger is forgotten in her loving care for her bemused younger sister who still seems to have no clue what her sister is talking about and why she is outside Ryuoh. As Sasami tries to question her older sister about what happened, Vegeta thinks onto the shockingly poor space travelling capabilities Earth has to offer, only two people he knew of could manufacture anything with a decent enough propulsion drive so that it took days not years to get anywhere. One is now a frail, old man who's genius mind has begun to slip with old age as has his body and the other was his daughter whom he knew so well.

" … Bulma would know how to fix your ship, even build a new one…" Vegeta says to no-one in particular, thinking out loud to himself more so than anything. Voicing her name out loud after so many months casts a dark shadow over his mind. Trunks looks at his dad forlornly as princess Ayeka turns to him beaming at this ray of hope.

" Really? Oh that would be marvellous."

" Yes, it would wouldn't it. Well …" Vegeta can no longer hold Ayeka's hopeful stare and looks down at his booted feet, his fists curling in their white gloves and uncurling slowly. " … Bulma, my wife, she … she passed away. About a year ago i-it … it was a virus, w-we could have cured her damn it!" Vegeta's fist remains clenched and tightens, the tormenting memories of his past life breaking down the floodgates he has constructed around his soul. Those words wipe the happy smile straight from Ayeka's face, a word to say how sorry she is for his loss is halted as she feels the hairs on her arms and head slightly rising from a massive static build-up. The more his teeth grind together the more the rocks beneath Vegeta's white boots crack and crumble. The Saiyan blinks twice and shakes his head side to side to rid himself of these unwanted emotions. One small jolt of electrical discharge leaps from one of Ayeka's fingers to the other and arcs towards the ground as the cool and frosted aspect returns to Vegeta's face. She got so swept up in the moment of Ryuoh's sinking that the Juraian princess forgot what the man stood before her truly is, a walking extinction event.

" Oh you poor thing, you must be so lonely." Ryoko sees her opportunity and seizes it, teleporting from the side-lines and going for another hug with Vegeta. Grasping nothing but air and with Vegeta stood another 2 feet away from where he last was, she gives up the attempt. The Saiyan slowly raises one of his hands and points past Ayeka and Sasami to the other, still unidentified girl, who has started to stand up and brush the dirt from her and take in her new surroundings.

" You there. Who are you?" Vegeta quizzes the other young girl. Older and taller than Sasami and Trunks, seeming to be in the awkward stages in-between childhood and womanhood with a shock of red hair tied back in a ponytail. When she has finished brushing herself down and sorting out the creases in her clothing she looks at Vegeta with gleaming emerald eyes.

" I am Washu, the greatest and brightest scientific genius in the universe. But you can call me Little Washuuuuu!" She smiles innocently as they stare at her dumbfounded. Whilst they still recover from her most unusual request for her name, she briskly walks up to Vegeta and begins to inspect him. Her prying, all-seeing eyes discomfort Vegeta but he sees no reason for physical 'dissuasion', yet.

" Very impressive I must say: musculature exceeds the norm for most known species, demonstrates feats of great agility and control of ki, spiked wild hair. No doubt you must be a Saiyan or descend from a common ancestor, though the lack of tail is curious. This is so exhilarating, I never thought I would get the chance to study your species after their supposed extinction." Washu starts getting excited at the possibility of having a new test subject. Vegeta on the other hand sees no amusement in her facts or the prospect of being someone's guinea pig.

" What are you blathering on about, fool. I am Prince Vegeta, not some low class lab rat." He shrugs off Washu and turns away to face the lake as he steps toward it until his feet balance on the edge of the blue waters. In a single bound he leaps and dives to the centre of the lake, a trail of bubbles tease across the surface and then suddenly stop. As the ripples dampen and cease, the women continue to observe puzzled until a deep and ominous rumbling shakes the surface of the lake. Ripples become waves and intensify around a central disturbance in the lake as something begins to rise. Water pours from every charred orifice as it emerges from the lake. Straining beneath the spaceship, Vegeta manoeuvres it over dry land and discards it in a heap by the forest's edge. Dripping wet, he lands back by the stunned women not saying a word. Steam swirls around him and explodes outwards when the Saiyan dries himself with energy before walking confidently towards Washu.

" It's time to back up your claim, woman. If you are indeed the greatest scientist alive then go ahead, fix this spaceship." Washu realises the trap but cannot deny the challenge Vegeta has lain down for her as Ayeka hopefully looks to Washu. The adolescent slowly looks to the capsized ship and the flotsam still bobbing in the water before self-assuredly turning back to meet Vegeta's challenge.

" Nope. No can do, not until I finish my little research project anyway and you start calling me Little Washu." Her reply catches Vegeta off-guard, seeing her counterattack had its intended effect she smirks.

" What research project is this Miss Washu?" Ayeka inquires, naturally curious as to why her escape from this planet is going to be delayed.

" Him, of course." Washu points at Vegeta as her smirk widens into a toothy grin.

" You have no lab or equipment woman, I will agree to no such thing." Vegeta seethes as he tries to climb out of Washu's cunningly laid trap.

" Don't worry about that, I can easily set up an inter dimensional portal to my lab from any doorway within your house. " Washu continues pushing the attack, testing Vegeta's limits. Ayeka notices Vegeta's extreme reluctance and growing hostility, and how it could cost her becoming stranded on this primitive planet. He might be some dangerous and genocidal warrior but right now he is her only ticket to getting back to where she belongs.

" Please prince Vegeta, I realise it's a lot to ask of you and we have only just met but any help would be most appreciated. Jurai will pay you back most generously for aiding me and pardon some of your … lesser crimes." Ayeka pleads to the prince, he looks at her face then back to Washu and then to Ryoko who in her boredom has taken to sunbathing on the roof of his house. Finally his gaze returns to Washu and her confident smile and pushes back the surging temptation for violence.

" …Very well … and as it is my fault that all of you are stranded on my planet you will be … welcome in my home until you can leave." Ryoko and Washu's faces light up, Ayeka graciously smiles and thanks Vegeta for his hospitality but at the back of her mind a seed of fear is germinating at the prospect of having to live under the same roof as the same man who is responsible for deaths of her people.

" Trunks, it's time you got yourself off to school. Get a move on or you'll be late." Vegeta tells his son as Trunks heads back into the house to gather his school bag and books. Leading the entourage of women into his house, he asks them to make themselves comfortable in the main living room. As they settle down Sasami's eyes drift and beam with childish glee as she notices a soft, brown fur ball that is Ryo-ohki quietly padding into the room. Vegeta stays stood up, still pondering over the circumstances and his current predicament as everyone else sits down on one of the large sofas in front of the television. Pink eyes veiled under amethyst tresses see one item on the low, wooden table between the seats and the large TV, a photo delicately framed in engraved gold. She is being observed as she takes in the image, Vegeta knows all too well what Ayeka is looking at. Only for his son's sake does he even keep that object there, he has no use of a gateway to a past full of memories painful to him.

Brought out of his reverie by Washu walking past him to the storage cupboard under the stairs, dismissively he agrees that she can set up there. Trunks quickly says his goodbyes before he takes off for school and Vegeta decides to leave his guests to their own devices as he goes back upstairs to his room, grumpily trying to devise a best course of action. Sitting on his bed staring at the wooden uncarpeted floor whilst massaging his temples Vegeta broods. Peace and quiet, no one to disrupt or disturb him from his training, that is all that the Saiyan prince has wanted for the past year. Once again Ryoko silently traverses through the floorboards of his room out of sight and hovers inches above the floor towards his flank. She finds herself staring towards his open palm aggressively pointed at her.

" One step close and I'll finally turn this whole planet to rubble." Ryoko's reaction of pure terror draws some badly needed amusement for Vegeta as she stays perfectly frozen in place, fearing for her life.

" What do you want now Ryoko?" Vegeta lifts his head from his hands and faces her with those cold, black eyes of his. Lowering his arm, she sighs with relief and gently lands on the floor regaining her composure.

" Washu's all set and ready for you Vegeta." She can't contain her giggles as Vegeta snarls and sourly goes to the beckoning of Washu. Ignoring Ayeka and Sasami who look on, he cautiously enters his former unused storage space and ventures into a realm beyond his own. As he steps inside the doorway he emerges in an expansive, brightly lit chamber with all manner of pipes and other foreign objects branching from the walls in geometrically abstract ways.

The door slams behind him, drawing his attention to the single exit of this place and to his alarm the door simply vanishes into thin air leaving him staring at the array of alien flora that encompass the far side of the room. Hearing a rapidly clicking and tapping noise he turns once again to see Washu sat on a hovering seat typing on a semi-translucent computer. Heading over to the outcrop that she is situated on, Washu swivels herself around in the seat with her long ponytail swishing around her to look expectantly at Vegeta like a cat waiting for a mouse. The same smile has been on her face ever since she successfully blackmailed him into satisfying her thirst for more knowledge.

" Let's get this over with before I change my mind." Vegeta threateningly says to Washu as he tries to gain dominance over this woman, standing a clear foot taller than her even after she dismounts her seat. His greatly amplified muscles seem to fascinate her more than intimidate. Washu appears in no rush at all, slowly leading him off into the dark recesses of her lab. Through winding corridors and labyrinthine mazes Vegeta struggles to keep his bearings, passing innumerable doorways he thinks to himself that he is in her territory now.

Ending up in one of the many dark, branching off rooms filled with gadgets, gizmos and many technological wonders the short scientist stops. To Vegeta there is no difference between their end destination and everywhere else they passed except for the main feature of this dimly lit room being an upright metal table heavy enough to put bulkheads to shame with restraints thick enough to dissuade most beings from escaping it. Knowingly, Vegeta approaches the table and turns to Washu who is tinkering with monitors and equipment far beyond any level Vegeta understood existed. Explaining to Vegeta the tests she is going to run and the various experiments, she gathers all the necessary apparatus needed on a nearby workbench with Vegeta pretending to listen and thanking that he does not have Goku's crippling fear of needles.

" Just place your clothes here, strap yourself in and the fun can begin." Washu exclaims. Her over excitement does not reassure Vegeta in the slightest, neither does the fact he has to remove his garments. Discarding all but his boxer shorts, Vegeta hovers in the air to centre himself in the restraints. With a press of a button, Washu clamps the restraints down and they weld themselves together and to the slab… and Washu begins with an evil chuckle to herself.

Meanwhile in the living room, Sasami joyfully plays with Ryo-ohki, petting her and letting Ryo-ohki climb on top of her head. The spaceship is most pleased with this new person and the affectionate attention it is receiving. Ayeka and Ryoko however do not seem to be enjoying each other's company in the least, each sat as far away from each other as possible. Ryoko is sprawled on top one of the large, wooden oak beams protruding near the ceiling. Within minutes of Vegeta entering the doorway Ryoko loses patience and has to fight with boredom. Restlessly fidgeting on the narrow slat of wood, she scans the room for any source of enrichment before jumping off of the beam to examine the items on the shelving units she noticed.

" Whatever do you think you're doing Ryoko?" Ayeka asks disparagingly. The fair Juraian had been examining the curious photograph depicting the man responsible for so many horrendous actions living out a normal family life. A father, a husband and a murderer. She can't help but wonder to herself whatever caused this woman named Bulma to marry such a monster.

" Mind your own damn business, I'm bored." Ryoko tries to dismiss her inquiry as she continues trying to work out what the objects on the shelf are and if they are of any value.

" Oh of course, being but a common space pirate you would know nothing of the virtues of patience." Ayeka quips, Ryoko is about to rise to the bait when one item on the shelf takes her eye. A small, rectangular box slotted between many others of the same exact size, this one however has a picture of Vegeta on the side. She slides the box out from the others it is sandwiched between and holds it up close to her inspecting it closely but unable to make out any of the markings on the box for she doesn't know the language of Earth. Grinning, Ryoko starts to open this intriguing box but by now Ayeka has noticed what she is doing and has risen from her seat to get a better look at what the petty criminal is doing.

" That doesn't belong to you Ryoko. I demand you put it back at once and respect Lord Vegeta's privacy as we are guests in his house." Ayeka politely demands of Ryoko. Ryoko continues to open the box to reveal a small, circular disc made of a reflective metal and admires her reflection in its shiny surface until she sees Ayeka's disapproving face reflected also. Purposefully disobeying what the princess said, she throws the box away and searches around the room for the device with which this disk might be used with. Infuriated by this insubordination, Ayeka grits her teeth as she retrieves the box and puts it back in its rightful place. She is appalled at this lack of manners or understanding of basic etiquette demonstrated in who she is now stuck living with.

Happy that she has finally found a device that has an opening that will take this disk, Ryoko inserts it in hearing a nice, little whirring motion of the inner mechanism of the machine. Nothing happens. Ayeka marches over to Ryoko and hassles her for the return of the disk and for the criminal to start behaving in a more appropriate and ladylike manner. Ryoko responds by pressing every button she can see on the larger black box she put the disk in and the television above it. This random button mashing leads only to maddening Ayeka further until she tries to forcefully take the disk back, faster then she is prepared for Ryoko slams an open palm into Ayeka's stomach sending her sprawling and winded on the floor. With bloody murder in her eyes, Ayeka stands back up after recovering from the unexpected blow. She advances on the smug Ryoko despite the pleas of Sasami for her to calm down.

" HAPPY BIRTHDAY VEGEY!" The screen erupts on and draws the attention of both women as Bulma's face appears on the screen.

" I know how much your training means to you so I got you this gift with a wish from the eternal dragon Shenron. It's all your fights that you've been in since you first landed on Earth so you can tactically analyse them, relieve old victories, learn new moves or whatever it is you fighters do." The blue haired woman disappears from the screen and it transitions to a rocky wasteland with a younger, thinner Vegeta standing on top of a rocky outcrop looking down at another man. The woman seem intrigued by this recording and sit down on the sofa with Sasami separating them.

" Interesting, of all the places on your planet and you choose this as your gravesite." The young Vegeta announces in his full Saiyan armour complete with jutting pauldrons and kusazuri. The raging battle grips their attention, learning of Vegeta's past they watch amazed. His cold and ruthless behaviour on the battlefield. How he has no regard for the lives of others. His sadistic pleasure from causing pain to his opponents and the shock of his mighty Oozaru form.

" Goodness, he's worse than you are Ryoko. What a vile monster he is." Ayeka remarks in disgust as Sasami loses interest in watching Vegeta pulverising Goku and crushing his legs and wanders off to explore the house.

" Yeah and his face is nearly as hairy as yours." Ryoko retorts. The recording carries on and Vegeta loses his tail and ultimately the match. Retreating in shame and disgrace, hauling his battered and broken body to his escape pod, he jets back off into the sky.

" He really can take a beating, that amount of damage would have crushed all of Jurai into dust. Oh well, someday that wish will come true." Ryoko continues to goad Ayeka, self restraint being tested Ayeka continues to shun Ryoko and chooses not to listen to her. The scene drastically transitions, Vegeta is healed and at a different place, the sky is a different hue and a purple fish faced humanoid in similar armour is challenging the confident prince. The following murders of Cui and Dodoria shock the women with the relative ease in which he executes both. All of Vegeta's past battles are flashed before them, all of them slowed down an awful lot so that the average human can view the fights and understand what is going on.

" Kakarot ... please ... destroy Frieza. ... He made me what I am. ... Don't ... let him ... do it ... to anyone else, ... whatever it takes. ... Stop him. ... Please." Vegeta coughs up blood from his punctured lung and breathes his last breath as the women watch him die. His blood and tears mingling on the floor beneath his head as his spirit departs his body.

" H-he died? But … if he's dead how is he here?" Ayeka asks, moved as she was by his bravery and demise against Frieza, she cannot wrap her head around the apparent resurrection of Vegeta. Out of all the other fights Ayeka saw, this one is sticking in her mind. He was not fighting for fun or for sport, but for the memory of his species that was brutally wiped out when he was a child and the freedom of all the many races from the oppressive regime of Frieza. Juraians know full well of Frieza and the wars that frequently raged between their own galactic empire and the rapidly expanding one threatening their borders, her people owe him a debt for playing the part he did in stopping the tyrant.

" I don't know but he … he actually stood up and defied Frieza. The mightiest being in the universe and he challenged it, without a thought for his own life." Ryoko's past history with the Cold family leaves her speechless in amazement that anyone could take on Frieza and supposedly still be alive. Not one soldier she ever saw when serving Frieza ever even contemplated mutiny or opposing their ruler, the power of fear kept everyone in line but him. More epic fight scenes entice the women: his ascendance to super Saiyan and the eradication of android 19, his defeat at the hands of 18, how he surpassed super Saiyan and fought Cell and then the spawn of cell. Half way through his match with the female android they realise that the young, oddly familiar man in the fights alongside Vegeta is Trunks. A different version of Vegeta's son somehow from the future and all grown up, his mood nothing like that of the playful, happy child they met. Still trying to piece together who or what this green guy called Cell is, they see a massive change sweep over Vegeta as a beam of death flashes past his face and carries on through his alternate son's chest. They bear witness to his pure fatherly rage when he watches his son's murder at the hands of Cell and the earth shaking retribution with which he pays back the 'perfect' monster, the actions of a father not the cold blooded killer he was.

" Not even a wince? Most people scream in agony when I drain bone marrow from them, hmmmm and this data is still wrong. I've reset the system twice now and it still shows your heart only beating once every five minutes. Never mind the fact you have an entry and exit wound on the right-hand side of your chest that completely envelops where your heart is, yet somehow the organ is not damaged at all." Washu's intellect and knowledge on anatomy is being broken down bit by bit from the wildly off the charts information being gathered from Vegeta. The Saiyan does not shed light on her many queries and questions of his body and gains satisfaction that even a genius cannot comprehend his power he has worked all his life to obtain. Deciding to meditate to pass the time and get some benefit out of this humiliation, Vegeta ignores all external stimuli: the needles, the electric shocks, the pain and Washu's building frustration at not being able to understand.

" Ok, I'm all ready now." Washu giggles stir Vegeta from his meditation to see Washu has changed her clothes and sliding latex gloves onto her petite hands. Her attire is an all white gown and a nurses hat, how she came to know of the uniform of Earth nurses is beyond him but the way her gaze is firmly fixed on his only remaining piece of clothing unsettles him. Her giddiness in her approach to him, her manic grin and roaming hands relight his fires of anger as he forcefully shoves her back with ki.

" What the devil do you think you're doing woman!?" Vegeta shouts loudly at Washu who is struggling back to her feet. Her hat was knocked off so she bends down to put it back on her head so her costume is complete once again.

" Calm down, I'm just getting a sample and like I said call me 'Little Washu'." Washu innocently defends herself. " The last sample remaining … a sample of your spermatozoa." Vegeta freezes and then snarls, his fires of anger raging inside of him as he wrestles against the restraints. With a push of a button more chucks of metal come down and seal Vegeta onto the table, each restraint thicker than the last and leaving him no room for movement or leverage.

" Just give yourself up. It won't hurt, not much anyway. I've got magic fingers . … It's impossible to break out of those restraints, I designed them myself." Washu's grin returns but quickly fades as she sees the strain in Vegeta's tense muscles and hears an ominous groaning vibrating the whole room.

" We'll see about that!" Vegeta smirks and continues his assault against the restraints. The groaning continues and is soon joined by the roars of Vegeta struggling for freedom. Suddenly Washu panics and quickly leaves the room. Hurrying away when her nerve breaks as Vegeta ascends to super Saiyan and then to ascended super Saiyan, doubling his muscle mass, crushing some of the restraints from his enlargement as if they were no more than paper. His roars die down and continue to echo through the empty passageways as he smiles and with minimal effort cracks the whole table into four pieces, tearing it from the wall. The restraints still attached to him, the table pieces still attached to each of his limbs and all the supports, rivets and girders from the wall still welded on are dragged as he slowly but assuredly marches through the mazes of Washu's lab with vengeance in his heart.

The duo watching the screen are totally engrossed as they witness Vegeta's finest moment. The moment he was completely selfless, when he sent away his son and friends to stand alone and hold the line. Where he took a last desperate measure to protect the planet and his family, sacrificing himself in a blazing inferno caused by his own life force to try and exterminate the menace of Majin Buu. A 200 mile radius supernova of flame as he pours everything he has and more into this final attack. Tears well and fall from their eyes as they witness the proud warrior's body begin to burn up within the small star he has created. The pain etched on his face as he sustains the explosion for as long as he physically can and the agonised screams thundering as loud as his attack. A petrified corpse tumbles and shatters in the cold hard glassy crater created. Vegeta's body turns to dust, scattered by the winds. Both women try and hide their tears and shows of emotion created from this valiant feat from each other unsuccessfully. Ryoko and Ayeka have seen enough to see how much the years on Earth have altered and changed him. He is not the same man now who went around blowing up planets, despite his best efforts to hang onto the appearance of a ruthless warrior.

Quickly the scene moves on to him facing a much more intimidating Majin Buu again but with a halo above his head, relieving the women and also raising serious questions religious and philosophical. But those thoughts are soon removed as an oddly dressed Washu rushes out of her lab and slams the door behind her. Washu pants before catching her breath and seeing what the women are watching before she drew their attention. Hiding behind the sofa they are sat on, she peeks over it watching the screen with them, both women thinking they rather wouldn't know what she is doing as it can't be as interesting as what has kept them occupied now for several hours.

Many minutes later, the door Washu had procured for her lab is kicked down into sawdust as a glowing, raging man clunks awkwardly through with the restraints still encumbering him. The burning fury in his eyes settle on the cowering adolescent. Reverting to base form, he takes a few steps into the room before effortlessly disintegrating the shackles and shrugging off the falling atoms. Terrified as his stare stays focused on her, she sprints out of the room and house in terror. With her out of the picture he glances towards the two other women and notices what they are doing. He sees himself on the television and that can mean only one thing, they are watching his most personal item he owns and learning everything there is to know about him. The fires in his eyes return, leaving the women scared stiff by the malice directed at them as his eyebrows furrow.

" 10 … 9 … 8 …" Vegeta calmly commences a countdown, the women take a few seconds to realise why he is counting backwards from ten then follow Washu's example and flee as fast as they can. With her sister running for her life and Ryoko phasing through the window, Sasami sits confused with Ryo-ohki in her lap enjoying a nice belly rub as Vegeta vanishes from view. Ayeka and Ryoko manage to catch up with Washu who has stopped out of breath with sweat pouring down her face, her body built for intellectual not physical stamina.

" …1" Alarmed they all turn to see Vegeta standing behind them with his arms crossed. Ayeka attempts to reason with the Saiyan but the murderous glint in his eyes dissuades her from attempting further so she falls back onto the Juraian technique of summoning a large force field in front of her.

" 0!" Vegeta bellows as he thrusts both arms out to his side and begins to gather energy in his palms. The women scream in unified terror as he slams both hands together in front of him facing them. Sizzling with energy, his hands glow from the energy built up in them.

" FINAL FLASH!" Vegeta cries as he expels the energy in his signature planet ravaging attack. The sky lights up as the heavens are torn asunder by his power. The women's cries are silenced in the thunderous wave. Vegeta cuts off his attack and the beam of ki abruptly dissipates as he looks down at the women. Scared to death, they all fainted in shock before he lifted his arms and aimed his blast directly above him – most probably on its way to ruin someone else's day- sparing their lives. Laughing at their cowardice, he picks up all three females and carries their unconscious bodies back to his house and upstairs to one of the many spare rooms. Disposing them on the bed he turns to leave the room before a dark thought crosses his mind and from ear to ear his smile widens sadistically.

Back in his element, Vegeta is training at a measly seven hundred times the Earth's gravity, barely breaking a sweat as he continues past his fifteen thousandth one handed handstand push up. Sasami is busy in the kitchen as she has decided to thank Vegeta for his hospitality by cooking a meal, but is overly unimpressed by the ingredients at her disposal. Extreme high protein food and drinks, hardly any greenery to be seen but an abundance of meat - enough to count as a zoo. She sighs and turns on the stove, surprisingly knowing her way around a gas operated oven and hob.

Simultaneously a tired groan emerges from Ryoko as she comes back round. Wearily she lifts her head from the comfortable 'pillow' and groggily opens her eyes. Blushing with a start as she finds herself lain entwined with a slowly waking Ayeka, the pillow turning out to be her breasts. Both stare eye to eye before pulling away from each other blushing. Still recovering from that stupefying fright, Ayeka hears quiet muffled shouts coming from one of the corners of the room. The shouts originate from a gagged and crudely restrained Washu: twisted girders, bent and warped metal and her own restraints incarcerating her. Anything to distance herself from the space pirate, Ayeka crosses the room and removes the gag but cannot budge any of the manacles distorted around Washu.

Warming down practising martial arts with weights in his hands in one hundred Earth's gravity, Vegeta prepares to end this training session. He gets interrupted abruptly by Ryoko and Ayeka storming through the door … and being crushed, immobilised to the floor. Releasing them by deactivating the artificial gravity he waits as the women recover from that ordeal.

" H-how dare you! I am the royal crown princess of Jurai! You have threatened my life and … a-and you. ." Ayeka blushes from the embarrassment, no longer able to continue venting her anger. Vegeta smirks and walks towards them, they flinch away even though he makes no signs of aggression.

" I believe Washu has learnt her lesson now so I will release her, you two can … I don't really care." With that he leaves the two women and goes back up to where he imprisoned Washu, the women hear an almighty crack as he tears the metal to pieces. A calm Vegeta descends the stairs with a timid Washu nervously following, stopping outside the entranceway to her lab.

" So now that I have complied with your wishes you can begin work on repairing Lady Ayeka's ship. Or would you prefer another practical experiment … _Little_ Washu?" Vegeta questions Washu, making sure she remembers her place in the pecking order.

" Yeah, about that. Well I can't exactly repair the ship, it's … ummm the materials … they can't be found on this planet. Would if I could, but ain't nothing I can do without the proper stuff to work with." Washu tries to dig herself out of the hole she's made for herself but her excuses don't fool Vegeta.

" Ah, so the truth comes out at last. I suspected as much. Lady Ayeka, seems you and your sister will be shipwrecked here a while longer than first thought." Vegeta smiles satisfied and leaves Washu to Ayeka who has overheard and is not in the least bit happy for Washu lying to her and being unable to get her off this rock.

" Consider yourself lucky, punk." Vegeta nonchalantly says to the disembodied head of Ryoko poking through the wall as he passes her towards the kitchen.

" Hey Vegeta …" Vegeta stops walking and turns back round to where Ryoko's voice came from but her head is no longer halfway through the wall. " … you didn't go and take advantage of a poor and defenceless woman when she was sleeping did you?" Her face drops down into view in front of his own as Ryoko hovers upside down in the air with a cheeky little smile on her face. Vegeta replies that he did not and decides that the conversation is over and turns back around to leave.

" DINNER'S READY!" Sasami calls excitedly, bringing Ryoko, Ayeka and a relieved Washu to the dining room table. The table is heaving under a banquet of lovingly prepared food with Vegeta already sat at the head of the table and courteously waiting for his guests before starting. Ryoko and Washu are elated by the sight of such bountiful food, plate upon plate of steaming meats drizzled in velvety sauces. As the females sit down to prepare to eat, the front door opens and closes and Trunks is instantly sat at his father's side looking longingly at the food. The women are too reluctant to sit at the other side of this powerful warrior, even Ryoko, but Sasami sits next to Trunks, happy for company of her own age group.

The women then find out to their dismay the eating habits of Saiyans are as overwhelming as their power, before most of them can get any food on their plates Vegeta and Trunks have made a sizeable dent in this feast. Dumbstruck by this insatiable appetite and disgusted by the lake of table manners, highborn Ayeka tries to set an example by eating with extreme care and ladylike delicacy. With the meal over and all the dishes cleared, Sasami is shocked when both Trunks and Vegeta inquire as to whether they can have seconds and are disappointed when she reveals that they have eaten all the food she cooked. Vegeta compliments Sasami on her incredible cooking ability and skill, she is proud of the praise but the other women are shocked by this act of kindness from him. Turning to face his guests Vegeta sighs.

" So … you two know of my past, my failings, my defeats and shame … even my deaths. I take it you even know about the alternate future version of Trunks, my son." Vegeta states in a solemn fashion, thinking back over all the times his strength was surpassed and he was shoved into the side-lines.

" Prince Vegeta, I do not condone the use of such excess violence that you seem so ready to show. Nor do I think someone's life should ever be forcefully taken from them as you have done to billions. … Yet what that footage of you showed is something your criminal record does not. You have a great sense of pride and honour, yet I cannot see how you really think of yourself as a failure. In all those fights I witnessed you fought admirably and greatly aided your allies, allowing for victory and the safeguard of this planet. Dare I say it, the universe itself would not be here were it not for your bravery and strength. All of us here are indebted to you and Goku or Kakarot for defeating Frieza and this Buu and on behalf of Jurai, and personally, I thank you for it." Humility and bitterness is all he has when thinking of his past, he cannot accept the kind words of Ayeka.

" You mean I softened them up for Kakarot, whilst I was humiliated and pummelled into the dirt like a helpless child." Vegeta retorts, frustration rising at the thoughts of Goku - his rival.

" So? You tried and you're still here aren't you? Taking on Frieza, that took some serious balls but you still did it. You pulled yourself a decent looking wife, though nothing compared to me of course, and have a son. Even though you've died -" Ryoko tries to comfort Vegeta, taking her lead from Ayeka.

" Ryoko, I have died and gone to the underworld. I was damned for my many sins and when I die again I will still be eternally damned, never able to see my wife. As I believe you will too for your crimes." Vegeta snaps, he will not hear some random space farer talk about his wife in such a way. Ayeka smugly looks across at Ryoko to see a stunned look on her face. With a sob she phases from the room, the Saiyan immediately regrets that outburst – no-one should live with the knowledge of what awaits them beyond the gates of death. Vegeta stands up to follow, her feeling guilty for what he has said and to try and attempt for reconciliation. Ayeka helps the children, who didn't understand that conversation, to clear away the dishes. Sneaking back off into her lab smuggling the disc that contains Vegeta's fights on them, a scarlet ponytail disappears through her rebuilt door.

Outside his house, Vegeta follows the sounds of Ryoko's distress and sees her perched on the roof of his house. In a single bound he is by her side but unsure how to comfort someone told of their fate after death - death itself being a hard enough topic to talk about in normal conversation.

" We have made our choices in life, we have to accept the consequences of our actions. No amount of penance could pay off my debt, even if I lived for a thousand more years. But you have your whole life ahead of you. I'm sure if you wanted to you could get yourself into heaven with only those minor offenses. Piccolo was like you and he managed it and all he did was save one child's life." After saying his piece. Vegeta leaves Ryoko on the roof with her thoughts as he goes to train in the training room with his son. Washu silently analyses the footage off the disc, making notes and running tests on it whilst comfortable in her lair. Ayeka and Sasami have returned to the capsized Ryuoh to scavenge what possessions they have undamaged by the waters of the lake.


	3. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 3: Day 3

Chapter 3

BANG! CRASH! The whole house shakes and quakes, reverberating from a great force. In a panic Ayeka rushes to her window and throws open the curtains. The glare from the Sun blinds her momentarily from the view; as the princess' pupils contract to the bright lighting another set of pulsing vibrations rattle through her skeleton. Vegeta and Trunks zoom past her window, startling her and rocking the house further. Recovering from the shock, she looks out of the window again as more resounding tremors pass through the house to realise that Vegeta sparring with his son are causing them. Partially relieved that she is in no immediate danger from any natural disasters, except for the ones she lives with, she begins to prepare and get ready for the new day. Eventually feeling she has dressed herself appropriately for the day, donning an over-elaborate gown made of a fine and light material, she begins to exit the house so she can greet the house owner as is customary on Jurai for guests. Hissing and trembling, a nervous Ryo-ohki runs frantically through the house not understanding what's going on until Sasami picks her up and eases her fears. Smiling tenderly at her younger sibling, Ayeka carries on her way out of the household to view the prince training with his prodigy.

" Boo!" Ayeka recoils from the sudden surprise and turns to see Ryoko phased upside-down through the ceiling impishly giggling to herself at that little prank. The whole ground shakes violently and thunder sounds in the sky as a far off mountain crumbles to dust, crashing down on the horizon with one last mighty roar. Shockwaves that carried on for miles from these regular training bouts have taken their eventual toll on this mountain as it surrenders its majesty and grandeur to gravity. The princess and the pirate look on gobsmacked as remnants of something so tall now becomes a heap of jagged boulders in the far off distance.

At that point Trunks lands on the ground panting and sweating heavily, turning wearily to walk back into the house for a well earned rest. Without so much as a drop of perspiration on him, Vegeta gradually descends back to terra firma surveying the two woman audience, waiting for them to notice. The quick flicker in their eyes, the slight stare is all it takes. They have noticed his change. No longer will he look like a ruffian when hosting guests; he decided to take pride in his appearance and shave his beard. A few simple swipes of his palm charged with ki did a good enough job as it usually does although it does leave a bit of a stench of burning on his face, right beneath his sensitive nose as well. Walking back clean shaven into his house past the two women without so much as a second glance he sees that all his guests are awake and downstairs.

" Tidy yourselves up and look presentable; in a few moments I'll be going to Kame Island to meet with 'friends' and as I have no wish to leave total strangers in my home you'll be coming along also. Out of all the days you could have barged into my life it had to be right before this ridiculous get-together my wife thought would be a good idea to hold annually." Vegeta continues past the women and up the stairs into his spartan room as they begin to busy themselves at such short notice. Opening up his wardrobe he scans through the rudimentary collection of clothing he has; flicking through all his training gear, jumpsuits, armour, casual wear and one other item of clothing. He takes out the hanger and special item of clothing, reminiscing over the memories. The nostalgia brings a smile to his face and heart as he begins to put on the first gift from his wife, his pink 'Badman' shirt. With his shirt on but unbuttoned he hears a faint knock on his door. Buttoning up his shirt whilst heading towards the door, he opens the door to see a bashful Ryoko standing outside with her hands clasped behind her back.

" Glad to see that you finally learnt to knock, what is it now?" Vegeta asks noticing that she has not changed her attire yet. The cyan haired woman's eyes go to the still exposed chest of the Saiyan prince then back up to his scowling face; having put on considerable muscle mass since he was first forced to wear this flamboyant shirt he cannot do up the top few buttons without risking ruining this gift most precious to him.

" Umm, Ryo-ohki had no storage compartments on board so … I have no spare clothes to change into. Can I ... can I borrow some?" Ryoko timidly asks in her well mannered pleading voice. Unmoved by the emotion portrayed in her voice but reluctant to let her go out in clothes she has worn for at least two days straight, he concedes and points her to a small chest in the far corner of the room containing a few of his late wife's clothes and decides he shall just have to live with a semi buttoned up shirt.

Leaving his room to preserve her modesty, Vegeta heads back downstairs to be amazed that all the other women are all ready - even his son has gotten changed in the time it took him to battle with some pesky buttons. Trunks is sporting a denim jacket, black tank top and jeans looking every bit like his alternate self. A long purple and lovingly crafted gown, with a plunging V neck, elaborate metallic golden collar and shoulder pads encrusted with two over sized emeralds is being worn by Washu. Little Sasami's clothing is also of great extravagance. With many hues of blue and purple and pink, large ornate shoulder pads and a flowing semi cape of white adorning her she looks every bit like a princess of Jurai. Ayeka's clothing is similar to Sasami's in all but colouration and the large static hood held in place above her head.

" Very good, you lot do scrub up well. I haven't seen clothes that fancy since the carnival last came round." Vegeta approaches the group and his son. The demure princess tries not to look at the bared part of the prince's chest but her eyes can't help but be drawn there and her cheeks unavoidable take on a rosy tinge. A flash of steel. A crack through the air, a sword is embedded at the feet of Trunks. Overjoyed by the return of his most prized possession, he removes it from the floor holding it aloft like an Arthurian warrior and sprints off to retrieve his sheathe so he can take it with him to show off to his friend Goten. Ryoko has to think fast as an excited Trunks rushes past and nearly bowls her over. Quickly recovering, she continues on her way downstairs.

The waiting group turn to her arrival, Vegeta looks on at her with mixed feelings coming from the sight of this woman wearing his deceased loved one's clothes. A simple red tank top and orange sleeveless jacket combined with plain white trousers; the same outfit Vegeta fondly remembers from Trunks' infancy. Feeling their eyes upon her Ryoko gets unusually self aware, especially from Vegeta as his eyes move over her body and then stop and stare at her waist. Uncomfortable under his unmoving gaze, she messes with the ponytail she put her hair in. She blushes at his stare, not realising his thoughts are not those of admiration.

" Your tail's gone Ryoko." Vegeta states matter-of-factly. Ryoko is taken aback and sweatdrops, disappointed in her realisation of why Vegeta was looking at her in that fashion.

" I don't have a tail, what do you take me for? That thing is a fashion accessory, it moves because I will it to." Ryoko states tersely back before heading outside as the rest follow. Bringing up the rear of the procession Vegeta absently rubs the scar tissue at the base of his back where his own tail once resided thinking that his son's tail still has the potential to regenerate back and he won't let it be cut off again. Ryoko stops at the edge of the crystal waters waiting for Vegeta or Trunks to lead on as they are the only ones who know the location of the destination. Vegeta steps forward and looks up at the sky surveying the clouds for any hints of bad weather.

" I don't mean to pry but is this Kame Island far away? It's just I see no means of transportation to get us there and I am afraid walking long distances is most impractical wearing this." Ayeka politely inquires. Ryo-ohki meows but Ryoko picks her up hushing her. Vegeta looks at the women and then at his son, Trunks goes to stand by his father and take his hand. The Saiyan moves his hand out of the way; his child expected him to use instant transmission and so physical contact would be needed to move multiple people but that is not what Vegeta has in mind. He woke up less than three hours after he went to sleep to get his daily amount of training over and done with before this outing and his sleep deprived mind wants to have a bit of fun.

" Trunks, think you can carry Sasami while I take these two?" Vegeta smiles as he asks this. A look of trepidation spreads across Ayeka's face as Washu enthusiastically goes up to Vegeta.

" You cannot be serious! I will not tolerate being manhandled in that manner and besides flying will totally ruin my hair and clothes." Ayeka argues back. Vegeta seems unfazed by her display and instead ignores her facing Ryoko.

" Think you can keep up with us?" Ryoko nods and starts to hover off the ground with her cabbit bundled up in her arms. Trunks moves his sword's sheathe off of his shoulder and around his belt and then bends, touching his knees to the floor, allowing Sasami to mount his back before he stands and carefully lifts off carrying her piggyback. Vegeta steps towards Ayeka with Washu already clutched under one of his arms, her legs kicking in the air as she fails to contain her excitement at flying without the aid of any machines. Ayeka resolutely shakes her head and continues arguing against Vegeta but sees his lack of empathy or care for her opinion on the matter, his mind is set and there is nothing she can do to prevent him doing what he wants to. One quick motion later she is thrown over his shoulder and he blasts off into the air.

Ryoko and Trunks follow the distant screams of Ayeka as they tear through the sky. Sasami and Washu seem enraptured by the experience as their speed increases and the wind rushes through their hair, blowing it back in wild rivers of pink and blue. The kicks and blows raining on Vegeta from the desperately struggling Ayeka do little to the Saiyan but annoy him, she really should know that attacking the person keeping you airborne is not a too well planned out idea.

" If you carry on with that behaviour my hands might just slip." Vegeta menacingly shouts as his voice is torn from him by the rushing winds. He is not sure that she heard him until he feels her freeze; her body going rigid and cold as she stares at the ground rushing past miles beneath her. Washu ignores the other passenger on Air Vegeta and whoops in exhilaration pressing closer to Vegeta. She never thought he'd fly this fast when carrying other people, for one thing she should be burning up due to aerodynamic heating or unconscious from the high g-forces of near supersonic speeds but the slight tingle she feels flowing over her skin explains it. Vegeta is generating a protective layer of ki onto the women but he is also realising all too late the mistake of having Washu so close to his person. He accelerates rapidly so the journey will end quicker. An explosion in the air brings the women's hands up to their ears as they smash through the sound barrier whilst Vegeta pushes ever onwards.

Trunks and Ryoko continue to increase their speed to keep up with Vegeta but soon Ryoko starts to flag and fall behind, she has reached her limit. Ayeka carries on her attempts for freedom as Washu huddles closer to Vegeta pushing him further and further into a very dangerous mood. He dives. Rocketing towards the ground in a spiralling descent he grits his teeth. With the Earth dead ahead, Washu's excitement turns sharply into fear and starts to behave like Ayeka as both women frantically wail at the inevitable fate of the ground. Screeching towards the earth with a woman in each arm, both on the point of tears, the chances of him pulling out of this kamikaze dive get slimmer as the gap to the ground narrows. It is too late, they meet the Earth. Vegeta somersaults planting both feet on the ground as the women's view now changes to that of blue sky in an instant. Trees topple, the ground splits and cracks open as it absorbs the force of their landing. Still bending his knees from landing he rebounds and is instantly back in the air regrouping with his son who has slowed down in consideration of Ryoko. Now in peace, Vegeta continues the rest of the journey with two unconscious women in his arms at a speed that the space pirate is comfortable with flying at.

Touching down on the white sands of Kame Island the group arrives. Vegeta lands first followed shortly by Ayeka and Washu, disembarking from him quickly, grateful for firm ground beneath their feet once again. Trunks and Sasami arrive soon after and then Ryoko brings up the rear, obviously fatigued from the many leagues they have flown beyond Mach speed. The small ball of fur in Ryoko's hands leaps forth onto the fine granules, hardly making any imprint as the humanoid's feet sink slightly into the tropical beach.

The small island has a few tall, spindly palm trees and patches of greenery, but apart from that the only thing of difference between this and all the many other islands they passed over on the way is the small pink house at the centre of it. Vegeta paces towards the house where many voices are emanating from inside, leading his son and the females. Trying to think of a way to explain his bizarre situation to the people inside Kame house, he pauses at the doorstep and turns to look at the party he brought. All seem eager to meet actual natives to the planet they are on, all but one. Ayeka.

She doesn't appear to have moved from where she first jumped down off of him. Her gaze is sweeping up and down the horizon at the calm, azure waters with a wistful look in her eyes. The smooth waves lapping onto the shoreline inches from her as seabirds caw to each other; this simple sight keeps her enthralled and enraptured, oblivious to all else. A loud shout from inside the house brings her back round and she re-joins up with everyone waiting to enter the house. Gripping the door knob that has been badly malformed by all the overpowered people who have used it Vegeta turns it and swings the door open.

" HEY, Vegeta's here! How're you doing?" Goku announces, glad to see his brother in arms. As Vegeta enters the house with his son his bulk no longer blocks the doorway and reveals the entourage he has brought with him. The ten individuals already in the house seem mightily confused by this new group of people and even more confused that the antisocial Saiyan they haven't heard from in roughly a year has been keeping company with women. Feeling extremely self aware and all their eyes upon him, he quickly introduces his guests as they enter.

" The little one is Sasami, this is her sister Princess Ayeka of Jurai, that one is called … Little Washu and she is Ryoko." Vegeta extremely briefly states. The women too now feel the curious eyes of the other Z warriors and are particularly disturbed by one set of eyes in particular. The owner of the household steps forward, wearing his best suit, red tie and fedora. Scratching his bushy beard and clacking his staff on the floor, the elderly man emerges from the crowd. Approaching the women with a stare penetrating through his dark sunglasses, he stops before them.

" So you girls also from space, hey? Can tell from the look o'ya. Strange though how so many aliens all look the same, when I was a wee lad I never woulda guessed the heavens were literally filled with beautiful angels like you. As no doubt one of the first humans you've seen I welcome you to Earth, but you should know that it is an honoured custom here on Earth to … GIVE A GREAT BIG SMOOCHY KISS to the house owner!" Master Roshi blurts out, his lecherous ways exponentially growing with age. He was once a martial arts champion though now an old man who has gone bald and decided to live as a hermit. His big cheesy grin still lighting his face as the women have no idea what to do. The Juraian royal is all for upholding customs and traditions and would not want to appear rude but she does not feel at all comfortable doing what he says is apparently the human way.

Ryoko is all too happy to oblige and so kisses the bald dome of Roshi's head before winking at him and going to stand by Vegeta's side. The effect is instantaneous, Roshi's pure white beard is now crimson and sodden from his volcanic nosebleed. The old turtle hermit hurries off to clean himself up as one of the women that was already in the house walks up to Ryoko and Vegeta. She is Chi-Chi, the wife of Goku and mother of Goten and Gohan, with her raven black hair tied in a bun and wearing a purple dress with pink sleeves she leaves her husband's side with a scowl upon her face.

" Great, you didn't have to do that you know. That dirty old man tries tricks like that all the time and now he'll be even bolder in his despicable behaviour." The athletic housewife states with her family at her back. Ayeka is relieved by Ryoko falling for the perverted senior's trickery and not her and puts her hand on her little sister's shoulder as she escorts her, following Trunks towards the other young ones. The cyan haired rogue simply shrugs, not caring for what Chichi has to say and looks back to the prince of all Saiyans. Ryoko takes a hurried step back as she witnesses the swift change in Vegeta's facial expression when his eyes lock with Goku's. The sound of war drums echo through the Saiyan prince's skull and his hands start to physically ache at wanting to clench into fists, he knows that now is not the time to settle his never ending feud but that does not stop him from still wanting to take a crack at it. The whole house goes deadly quiet in anticipation as the two from the planet that no longer exists grin at the other. Two Saiyan hands move, they grip each other and shake firmly with the sound of several knuckles cracking in protest. Everyone lets out a sigh of relief as Vegeta and Goku walk off into a corner to discuss each others training and what they've been up to since their last bout.

Goten, a more or less identical miniature version of his father, and Marron, the small, young, blonde daughter of 18, approach the two other youths and after Trunks quickly introduces Sasami and Ryo-ohki to them, they run off outside to play on the sandy beach. Abandoned by her sibling, Ayeka looks for the one person she actually knows here but to her dismay Washu is busy pestering some kind of reptile that is cowering inside a thick hard shell. As a royal dignitary she is used to social conventions such as these, as an ambassador or such to represent her people or family, but something about being in a room where the majority of people could single-handedly destroy a solar system is stopping her from socialising as she would normally do. Still in discussion with his rival, Vegeta sees Goku now looking over his shoulder, his interest on someone behind him. Revolving around to see Ryoko glowering at who she has figured out to be Kakarot, the reason she came to this planet.

" Hey, how are you? It's Ryoko, right? Nice to meet you." Goku acts as his friendly, charming self, smiling and offering his hand for a handshake to Ryoko. She looks down at his rough, battle-hardened hand, back at his cheery face then stalks back off. Goku looks to Vegeta for an explanation.

" Hmmm … yes, Ryoko. Well if you must know, she was a space pirate who worked for Frieza and the Cold family. She came to this planet to seek out the one who caused her current state of unemployment. Too bad for her that your fate has already been sealed to me since long before Frieza was slain." Vegeta says whilst observing Ryoko's movements as she heads towards the 6'9'' tall, green Namekian wearing a pure white cloak and turban named Piccolo.

" Oh come on now, why can't we just be friends and forget about what happened in the past. The way you keep talking about it makes me think you want to kill me." Vegeta's smile darkens as one single low chuckle is sounded. " Anyway … I thought we'd heard the last from Frieza and his rotten lot but you and her do have a lot in common; I'm happy you've found someone willing to keep you company."

" Grrr … You think I had any choice in the matter. Her and the other women are stranded on this planet and as it's my fault it's only right I offer them **temporary** accommodation. What did you think was going on you dimwit ? " Vegeta bristles and Goku shies back waving his hands apologetically in front of himself and taking back what he just said. On the other side of the crowded room Ayeka has found herself in conversation with 18, a beautiful, blonde cybernetic organism with pale blue eyes and a flowing red kimono embroidered with golden lotus flowers.

" Your daughter is really quite beautiful Miss 18, she must get that from you but if you don't mind me asking … who is your husband?" Ayeka looks about the crowded room seeing a lot of men and then her eyes go where 18 points and sees Krillin. He is only a foot taller than her little sister and seems to have some dots tattooed on his forehead that are covered by his short, black hair and he appears to be lacking a nose. Such a diminutive man at first would be mistaken for a child - a child who spends every day working out at the gym.

" Him?! But he's …" Ayeka stops herself as she sees 18's eyes narrow. Ayeka backs away and is about to try digging herself out of the hole she has stumbled into when a very well timed distraction saves her.

" Wow, so you are an android! Do you dream of electric sheep? This is incredible to think such a primitive race could produce such sophisticated technology. Strength, speed and energy manipulation abilities; your creator was very thorough in making you. Even the ability to breed with humanoids, exquisite. Although compared to what I could do your circuitry and combat abilities could be vastly improved, such a shame that this planet doesn't have any adamantium reserves because then I could make you into something truly wondrous, hehe." Washu jumps up inspecting every inch of 18 fascinated, whilst Ayeka slinks off to a quieter and safer area of the room. 18 does not like being reminded of her stolen humanity or what Dr Gero put her and her brother through. Not one bit. For all her intellect Washu really should have noticed the twitch in 18's eyes and the clenching fists and if not for Krillin noticing his wife's mood the outcome for Washu would have differed severely. As Krillin attempts to soothe and calm his love, Washu stalks off in search of a new source of information and knowledge.

" Hey Vegeta, isn't, uh, that outfit that Ryoko's wearing like Bulma's." The tall, long haired, scar faced former bandit Yamcha asks Vegeta, who is no longer in discussion with Goku and is sat on his own.

" I allowed her to borrow them on the grounds that she herself owns no spare clothing, it's not like they were being used." Vegeta coldly replies, trying to end the topic there and then.

" Yeah, I thought as much. I'm sure those were the clothes that she wore when we first went to fight the androids … and I got impaled." Yamcha looks sheepishly at his own stomach where several years earlier there was an arm straight through it. "But why do you have her clothes in your new house, I thought, y'know, fresh start and all that ?"

"What are you implying? That I kept them for sentimental reasons, don't be so absurd. Luckily for Ryoko they just so happened to be already in storage in the house when I unpacked the capsule for it; Bulma never was much good at cleaning so she just hid her old stuff in random capsules hoping no one would find them." Yamcha nods accepting this and is about to ask another question, but Vegeta on the other hand has no interest in continuing talking to his wife's former flame and is more intrigued by the hushed conversation that Ryoko and Piccolo appear to be having. That is they were having before Washu interrupts in an attempt to study Namekian anatomy. Piccolo is not amused by this scientist and simply brushes past her. Both silent warriors look across the room at each other and in unison head towards the door to the sunny day outside, Vegeta and Piccolo were never social people. The rest of the congregation follow them to enjoy the glorious sunny day and so the parents can watch their children at play.

No doubt dissuaded by the extremely rough and tumble sparring that the young Saiyans are enjoying, the two young girls enjoy each other's company, socialising in the sand with Ryo-ohki frolicking in the surf. Chi-chi looks on worried as Trunks and Goten play some childish fantasy game of pretend with each other, but with a real sword. Arcs of silver twirl and dance viciously through the sky. The lads finally tire of that game and look back at their parents before approaching their fathers. The two most powerful beings in the universe look down on their offspring as their sons challenge them to a fight, nothing brings more enjoyment to those with Saiyan blood than a good old fashioned brawl. The Saiyans exchange a glance between each other and look down at their sons with a serious expression. A cacophony of laughter erupts from both of them at the thought of their sons trying to take them on. Wiping a tear from his eye, Goku looks back at Goten and his friend declining their challenge. Frustrated by their fathers not taking their challenge seriously, Trunks and Goten sidestep a few paces away from each other with their arms pointing away from each other.

" Fu … sion.. HA!" In one well practised movement the boys complete the choreographed technique and touch the tips of their fingers precisely together. Where their fingers touch a ray of light shines out and then envelops the boys. Its light intensifies until all but the Saiyans can look on at it without fear of permanent blindness. Slowly the brightness dissipates and as the women and other Z warriors look back they see no longer the two children but one; Gotenks, the fusion of Trunks and Goten. More powerful than both of them and more confident and cocky than Vegeta in battle. With upright, spiked hair like the Saiyan prince but with streaks of purple down the sides and wearing a blue and yellow vest in the style of the Metamoran people, who's technique they have just used, the fusion child offers up their previous proposal again.

" How 'bout now, think you can take on the mighty Gotenks?" Laughing at his self-assuredness in being able to take on his fathers now, Gotenks casually does some warm up stretches as he knows they cannot refuse his challenge. Ryoko, Ayeka and Sasami look on in disbelief. They might have seen the fusion technique done through the potarra earrings when they watched the videos of Vegeta but seeing this technique in real life is altogether something else.

" Wow, the merging of two bodies and people to become one perfect being. This is definitely a most interesting planet. My research will advance in leaps and bounds here, hahaha." Washu is getting over excited by all the new data she is processing and has started to giggle manically. None of the others pay any attention to Washu, the Saiyans are the ones who hold their attention. Goku and Vegeta are still smiling and look at each other. Their fists fly at one another and stop precisely millimetres away from the other's face. Vegeta's fingers are outstretched with the tips of his fingers nearly grazing Goku's nose whilst Goku's clenched fist seems to be just about to break Vegeta's jaw.

" Ha, better luck next time Kakarot. I win this round, the fight is mine." Vegeta steps towards his half-son and away from a disappointed Goku who lost the game of rock-paper-scissors. The two confident warriors smirk at each other and in unison float into the air and over the open ocean. Instantly the fight begins as Gotenks ascends to super Saiyan and charges at Vegeta who also ascends. Their limbs are a blur to the onlookers but one thing they can tell is none of Gotenks blows are coming close to hitting Vegeta. Gotenks' aura bulges and grows from his infuriation at not being able to land a single blow. Static discharge begins to occur around the fused fighter as he spontaneously bypasses super Saiyan 2 straight to super Saiyan 3. A trickle of blood appears down the side of Vegeta's mouth. Gotenks withdraws his fist back and looks on exultantly.

Wiping the blood from his face and spitting the metallic tasting liquid from his mouth into the blueness below, Vegeta follows Gotenks' example and transforms to his ultimate, long haired form. The two combatants hold each others gaze until they both disappear completely from view. The women and human Z warriors look around, trying in a futile effort to locate where the fight is occurring. Now the only signs of battle are the distant tsunami like disturbances in the water and bone pulverising shockwaves rippling through the air. Occasionally flashes of light illuminate the silhouettes of where the two fighters where but have long since moved off from. Suddenly, Gotenks appears. The pain in his eyes is clear as he clutches at his stomach and bends forwards. An instant later, a fist materialises along with the rest of Vegeta. A swift elbow to the back of the head, a knee to the gut and a two handed blow to the back sends Gotenks powerlessly diving towards the sea. The descent of Gotenks is abruptly stopped by the chokehold that Vegeta has now got him into, his opponent cannot move nor has the strength to even if he could.

" I applaud your efforts, but your time is up." Calmly Vegeta lets go of the beaten fusion of his son to be engulfed by the waves. A ripple in the air later and he is touching back down next to the other father of Gotenks, hair reverting back to its original dark and spiky state . Without looking at each other they raise their hands and fist bump whilst they watch their now separated sons come spluttering out of the surf back onto the island. As the children collapse in a puddle of breathless exhaustion and wet sand, Chichi rushes to check on the wellbeing of her son. Goten and Trunks both leap to their feet and run off playing again, both as fit and dry as a fiddle again, before Chichi is even halfway to them. Sighing she walks back to her husband's side, who along with Vegeta is now sniffing the air eagerly. Both Saiyans vanish from sight in a dust devil of sand as Roshi appears in the doorway, still recovering from his encounter with Ryoko with rolled up pieces of tissue bunged up his nostrils.

" Food's ready, so better get yourselves inside before those two eat it all." Roshi beckons them in as the group amble on inside. As the last one into the house, Ayeka gets Roshi's special attention which means a groping hand to her backside. Shocked by such an affront to her she rapidly turns on him with the wrath only a woman could have. The turtle hermit sputters apologies as the white's of his eyes become clear to see from behind his sunglasses. Master Roshi didn't stand a chance. Wiping her hands in disgust at having to touch such concupiscent OAP, she leaves him in a heap on the floor with many reminders of why he should not behave in that way dotting his body and nightmares for many nights of the twisted visage of tempest-like fury he bore witness to. Only one thing seems to be paying attention to the bloodied owner of Kame house and that is the centuries old turtle shaking his head disappointedly at his long time friend.

The large group of people arrange themselves around the three tables pulled together and try and get any food remaining as the two Saiyans and their sons are quickly demolishing it all. Ayeka and the other women try to ignore their abysmally poor table manners and eat with proper etiquette, except Ryoko who seems to be embracing the Saiyan way of consumption. Halfway through the meal Washu, who with the body and stomach of a young adolescent has already eaten her fill, stares intently at the Saiyans trying to figure out the volume of their digestive systems based on the large intake of food … somehow they are eating more than their body mass in food and this foils her calculations. When all the food has been cleared from the table the Saiyans sit back in a content manner.

" So if you don't mind me asking, how did all of you come to be living with Vegeta of all people?" Gohan - the eldest son of Goku who is now a man full grown with short, spiked hair, horn-rimmed glasses, a stylish goatee and his girlfriend of two years Videl cuddling into him – politely asks them. None of the women seem to mind the question too much and begin to recount their stories. First is Ryoko who quickly begins her 'true' story.

" It all began when I was a just little girl, no older than Sasami is now. My parents had abandoned me before I could remember. I didn't know who I was and had nothing to my name. No one cares for a defenceless child in the slums, especially Juraians. Yeah that's right, it was a Juraian colony I grew up on. Those arrogant snobs won't give you the time of day unless you come from some prestigious family or another. I had to live off what I could take from others without being seen, living a life in the shadows and gutters. Life was so hard and unforgiving, barely surviving from each day to the next. All on my own with no-one to look out for little me until, one day, a boy helped me escape from the guards who were pursuing me. He took me in and gave me warm food and shelter; he was the first person ever who cared for me, my first and only friend in that bleak and cruel Juraian world . We were a formidable team for many years, evading the guards all the time: watching each other's backs and having such fun. Until … until that one day when he … h-he betrayed me, sold me to the guards. Locked away in a prison where I was starved and beaten and abused whilst he lived off of my bounty in a life of luxury. Just goes to show you that all Juraians are the same. I don't know how long I rotted in that cell but it felt like an eternity: no windows or light it was just a dark cave, just me and the stone walls. It was so cold and lonely down there and with nothing to do so I trained my body and became strong. My hope was to eventually be able to knock out one of the guards and steal the keys and make a break for it but my opportunity never came. Out of the blue the planet was attacked, fire rained down from the sky and all the cities burnt … so many people died. It was my one chance to escape and I took it, using my newfound power of phasing I took my chances and fled from the prison … only to be captured again by the invading forces. My long service as a puppet for Frieza was hell: forced to kill so many innocents, constantly beaten by my superiors and treated as dirt. Finally after so many long years of slavery, I was free. Free to escape as the Cold empire disintegrated. Rumours spread that Frieza had been killed along with his father King Cold. With my spaceship, I began my long and perilous journey through the voids of space to track down my saviour and thank him … and that's how, years later, I found myself on this planet." As Ryoko finishes her tale with tears openly flowing from her eyes, Chichi, Sasami and Videl struggle to keep back the floodgates of their tears from such a sad story. They begin to offer their condolences to someone who had to suffer through so much when a gruff voice overrules them.

" Very impressive story, Ryoko. Shame it's mostly a load of codswallop." Vegeta announces. Ryoko is taken aback by how easily he saw through her façade of lies and deception, the others look at him.

" You are not the innocent you make yourself out to be. You enjoyed the killing as much as I did when working for Frieza, thanking Kakarot is not your reason for coming here at all. I am not completely out of touch with what goes on beyond this pitiful rock, I know there is a bounty on that clown's head. Quite a vast sum as I recall. You sure that money was not what brought you to Earth." Ryoko stutters trying to think of a way to explain away Vegeta's extremely accurate guess as the others look doubtfully at the space pirate.

" Well that's to be expected from a lowlife criminal like her, hard to believe someone who's been convicted of fraud. " Ayeka retorts as she outlines her upbringing as the first princess of Jurai, her years of education and preparation for the role she will one day have to take as future empress of Jurai. She explains how she and her sister came to be going to a political meeting when, by happenchance, they were viciously attacked by Ryoko and her spaceship and went off in pursuit to bring her to justice.

" You can't believe that. She's lying! Do I look like the kind of person who would randomly attack another spaceship?" Ryoko's counterargument is ignored and unheeded as Washu has now stood up to her full height – on top of a chair. Everyone only partially listens to Washu's inflated ego boast over her great academic and scientific achievements and how she decided to leave the science academy to go into the private sector to work for the Juraian empire and so ended up on Ayeka's spaceship Ryuoh. As Washu ends her story, Gohan seems pleased at the prospect of another like minded scientist and so gets into an in-depth discussion with her about her inventions which she evidently enjoys talking about. He takes off his completely unnecessary glasses and slots them in one of his suit's inside pockets as he tries to worm from her some information or blue prints of any device that might aid and better mankind.

" So, if you're stranded here and your spaceship's broken, why don't you try using the dragonballs to repair it?" Yamcha asks Ayeka and Sasami, who's faces light up at this ray of hope and begin to ask and learn about how the dragonballs work.

" Vegeta do you still have that dragon radar that Bulma made?" Krillin cautiously asks. Vegeta's cold look drifts over Krillin, sending chills down his spine.

" I still have it and if Lady Ayeka desires so I will lend it to her. The other two wishes though?" Ayeka graciously thanks Vegeta whilst Washu and Ryoko both perk up after hearing about extra wishes. Conversations begin and end as time drifts past. The Sun is starting to hang low in the sky by the time Vegeta and his party leave the house to start their journey back. They say their goodbyes to the gathered Z warriors but as Vegeta turns to pick up Washu and Ayeka again a hand clamps down on his shoulder.

His signature smirk plays across his face as Vegeta turns around and looks up into the eyes of his rival as they both grin at each other. As the Z fighters see this they cower back and retreat into the house whilst Vegeta's party of women look on not sure what is going on. The princess is about to call his name when it happens. A sandstorm brews around the two as their limbs fly at each other at such speed that it disturbs all the water around the island. Neither Saiyan has moved an inch when the fight stops. Still stood in the exact same place with no injuries or signs of fatigue on either as they shake hands in a sculpture of delicate glass shaped from the grains of sand and the heat caused from their movement.

" One of these days Kakarot your luck will run out and I will surpass you." Vegeta gives a last firm squeeze in the handshake and turns back to the women as Goku goes back to his own family. Flying back over the ocean with the sun setting and sending an array of colours in the sky seems to soothe Ayeka which Vegeta is thankful for. The princess is spellbound looking at the many hues playing across the water's surface, such a romantic and beautiful sight that captivates her. No sight like that could be found on Jurai and here she is flying in the arms of a strong and brave prince – albeit a bit more bloodthirsty and ruthless than the ones normally told of in tales. By the time they land back at his house the Sun has long since disappeared and night has taken over the land. Relaxing in the living room Vegeta stands so that his guests can all sit down with Ryoko sprawled on one of the beams recuperating from the gruelling flight.

" So Lady Ayeka shall I get the dragon radar so that you can go and gather the dragon balls to repair your spaceship?" Vegeta queries the princess who responds with a nod and a kind smile.

" Well then, tomorrow you will be pretty busy scouring the whole planet." He sees she reacts the way he intended by looking shocked and worried by the Herculean task set before her.

" Do not worry or panic, it wont take long so I can spare the time to help you. As it seems you no longer hold such a fear of flying I could always carry you to the dragonballs." Ayeka seems pleased with that news as she watches Vegeta climb the stairs and enter his room to fetch the radar device. He opens the drawer he recalls placing it in to find it empty. Thinking he might have moved it, he rummages around all the nearby draws still not finding it, he even resorts to lifting up all the furniture with telekinesis to no avail. His sixth sense tingles and he looks to his doorway to see Ryoko messing around with what he was searching for. As he takes a step towards her she pulls and holds the handheld radar to her bosom and smiles at him.

" Is this what you're looking for? Too bad, it's mine now and I'm not going to give you something that will help Ayeka to arrest me." Ryoko looks at Vegeta, trying to gauge what he will do next.

" For all I care you can use one of the spare wishes yourself and besides … you couldn't stop me taking that from you if you tried." Ryoko seems satisfied with this outcome and smiles at him, handing over the radar as she phases out of sight to somewhere else in the house. Vegeta immediately goes downstairs and hands over the device to Ayeka who is appreciative of his help. With this done, Ayeka and Sasami head upstairs to get some sleep as Washu has already escaped into her lab. Once again Ayeka thanks Vegeta for the hospitality but before she can accompany her sister to bed Vegeta stops her.

" As someone of royal blood I feel it is only right that I allows you to use my bed tonight…" Ayeka turns red and blushes at such a sudden proposition " … whilst I sleep in one of the spare rooms." Ayeka stops blushing and happily accepts Vegeta's offer. As she heads into and enters Vegeta's room he sits down on the sofa waiting patiently. An hour or so passes and Vegeta is still sat in the exact same position downstairs with all the lights in the house off. His mind has entered a meditative state, improving his body is only half the training he requires to bridge the gap with the other remaining Saiyan.

Upstairs, Ayeka is fast asleep but not alone. A grinning visitor has silently entered the room and is subtly approaching the bed. Ryoko, who has phased once again into the room, has finally successfully managed to sneak up to the bedside and begins to hover. Now above the bed, Ryoko flies over the unsuspecting sleeper and lowers herself down. Straddling the person in the bed, Ryoko grins mischievously. She bends over, lowering her face closer to the one on the pillow until her lips are nearly grazing those of her target. Ryoko's eyes widen as she sees the eyes in front of her open and realises she has made a grave error.

Downstairs a piercing scream reverberates through the house and a dark smile encompasses Vegeta's face as his patience had been rewarded. Slowly he makes his way to the source of the night's disruption and opens the door to his room. Both women are at each others throats. Shouting at each other and wrestling against the other. Any normal person would run away at a single look at the terrible anger burning in each woman's eyes but this show of violence proves amusing for Vegeta. His slight chuckle as he approaches them draws their attention but does nothing to calm either of them down. Easily he gets in-between them and pushes them apart from one another. He walks up to each woman in turn and stands behind them, holding them and adjusting them into a proper fighting stance before leaving the room. This touching and intimacy shocks both women who weren't expecting it and they both blush and forget about their quarrel as Vegeta goes to find a room for himself to sleep in.


	4. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 4: Day 4

Chapter 4

Another day dawns in the foothills of the mountains, a slight mist is rolling down off of the verdant foothills. The twinkle of the rising Sun's first rays of the day glisten off of the lake's calm surface and into the steely eyes of the prince. Squinting his eyes from the dazzling beams reflected off the still water and from the sweat rolling down his face, he continues his ceaseless training. Having got up long before the dawn chorus, he squeezes in every opportunity he can get to better himself in the field of battle. Fatigue means little to him, it is inconsequential compared to the deep seated desire eternally burning at his core for furthering his combat abilities.

His highly attuned ears catch the end of a conversation, the voice is female and it seems quite worried about something. Weary from endless hours of martial arts, he takes this as an excuse to end the session and to check up on his guests. Walking back into his abode, he nearly stumbles into a frantic Ayeka. Catching her from falling and putting her back on her feet before she even realises anything has happened, he observes the large mess in the living room and looks back to the troubled Ayeka glancing about worriedly.

" I hope there is a rational explanation for this behaviour Lady Ayeka, or else …"

" Oh yes, it's terrible. A hundred pardons for the mess Lord Vegeta, I just can't seem to find the dragon radar you gifted to me. When I woke up it was not where I left it so I began to search and I-I've looked everywhere but it's gone and without it I just don't know what I'm going to do and I …" Ayeka is working herself into a state and is on the verge of tears. Not wanting her to start a scene and also that like all men he has a weakness for crying or distressed women, he gently puts his hand on her shoulder. She looks down at his comforting hand then back to his face.

" It can't have gotten far Lady Ayeka. I believe I have a good idea who might know where it is, now get a grip on yourself and stop fretting whilst I search for it." Ayeka weakly offers a smile at the area where Vegeta was as he has now gone off to seek out the missing device at supersonic speeds. Appearing in front of the person he deems most likely to know where the radar is, he wakes her from her nap abruptly. Hovering by the side of the structural beam that the space pirate seems to have taken a particular liking to he watches its current occupant lazily roll over to face him.

" You wouldn't by any chance happen to know where the dragon radar has suddenly disappeared off to now would you Ryoko?" Vegeta accuses Ryoko, who is still weary from being woken up but hears the clear implications in his tone and takes offence at it. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she sits up with a frown.

" Nope, no haven't seen it and if little miss goody two shoes over there can't keep track of it then it's not my problem." Ryoko dismissively replies. Vegeta looks down at her calculatingly.

" Without that device no-one gets their wish, including you remember?" Not surprised in the least Vegeta sees Ryoko perk up and sit up straight. "One more thing; I would like to have my wife's clothes returned to me now. I'm sure you are more than capable of finding your own clothing." The space pirate's feline eyes look down at the borrowed articles he is referring to and coyly meets his expressionless stare.

"You want me to take my clothes off right now do you? Well Ok but just this once Vegeta, you naughty Saiyan."

"No Ryoko, that's not what I meant. First priority is the dragon radar. Find it, gather the dragon balls, get wish granted, understand?" Being reminded of the spare wish she was promised and with her imagination running wild at what it could grant her she springs up off the wooden beam and energetically begins searching for the device, all too easy for the Saiyan. Having completed his full and thorough search of the entire house before he woke Ryoko up he heads to the last place he hasn't checked yet. Knowing all too well he could search for hours, if not days even, in there and still come up with nothing, he steadily pushes open the door to Washu's laboratory. Entering the realm of the unknown and best left unknown he decides on his best course of action and Instant Transmissions behind Washu. The miniature scientist is engrossed with the machinery she is busy tinkering with on her work bench and so has no idea that Vegeta is silently walking up behind her, his footsteps completely muffled.

" Now what do we have here? That wouldn't be the dragon radar there now would it? For your sake woman I hope not." Vegeta menacingly declares looking over Washu's shoulder at the dismantled electronics and microchips. Startled, she abruptly turns around to see him leaning over her and sees his penetrating gaze. She starts to deny that thought but halfway through her sentence he starts cracking the knuckles of each finger slowly and deliberately as his eyes darken. Even if he were just a normal man he would still be able to overpower her being twice her size and she knows full well he would feel no remorse in snapping her like a dry twig, in fact she has a worrying suspicion he would take great pleasure in doing just that.

" Ok, ok, so I took it to run a few little harmless experiments on it. I'll give it back to you when I'm done OK? Wait, even better, with my vast intellect I'll improve and modify it, maybe even duplicate several copies of it -"

" I don't care about the details, just how long will this take?" Vegeta interrupts her half way through her spiel. He is quickly losing patience and not liking the way this day is turning out already.

" I'd estimate less than a day for sure, not too long working with this primitive device ... " Before Washu can finish her sentence the shadow looming over her has gone and exited her lab, she lets out a sigh of relief and wipes her wet brow before returning to work. Arriving back into reality, Vegeta looks about himself to see Ryoko, Ayeka and Sasami all looking about the house as if their very lives depended on it. Such a frantic environment is no place for a rodent sized animal like Ryo-ohki, poor thing nearly gets trampled on several times under busy feet. After enjoying the scene from the doorway for a while he goes into his living room where they all are and explains the situation to them.

" Apparently the radar will be unavailable for a day as Washu has taken it upon herself to investigate the device and … do something to it to make it work better." The women look relieved by this news and so stop searching and begin to go about relaxing around Vegeta's house. Trunks and Sasami have commandeered the television as Trunks tries to teach her how to play Earth's video games so Vegeta heads off into his training room.

However, no sooner has he taken a step into his favourite room then he backs out, slams the door shut - splintering the wall - and storms into Washu's lab with a red haze descending over his eyes. She is alerted to his prescence by the splintering sound as her door is kicked down again and Vegeta breaches into her dimension heading straight for her. This time his steps are not silent, neither is her lab's flooring staying intact when he walks.

" Who do you think you are?! You've got some nerve woman. I kindly let you live in my house, even experiment on me and for what? You to do whatever you like in my own home! Messing about where you shouldn't have gone, I'm afraid you've forgotten your place and I'm about to kick you back down there!" By the time his stomps reach her hovering cushion, Washu is but a speck of red hair disappearing far off. Seething with rage he stalks his prey, slowly following her every move as she attempts to flee deeper into the darkened recesses of her refuge. Each doorway she turns to scamper through reveals a waiting shadow. He wears her down and tires her out, she can no longer run any further.

" Wait now, come on be reasonable. I-I improved things in your home! Fine so I tampered with a few bits and bobs, but now the artificial gravity machine can produce a much larger gravitational force and I've completely reworked the heating and energy efficiency of this dwelling, added a dimensional gate to my own luxurious personal bathing quarters and added a 3 dimensional output to the monitor in the living room." Vegeta stops a foot away from her, accepting this reason and leaving her again as he is curious as to how the increased force that the training room can generate could help his training regime. That thought is then discarded momentarily as the raised voices of Ayeka and Ryoko tear through the house again. First things first though he needs breakfast. With half a cow slowly digesting in his gullet he realises that simply ignoring a problem does not make it go away. Resigned to their inability to get along with one another he goes to try and establish peace, or some semblance of it, in his home and figure out what they are arguing about this time.

" Lord Vegeta I am glad that you are here, this she-demon has gone and stolen my clothes. Look, she is even shamelessly parading around in them. You can tell she's from a lowly poor background as she can't even fasten my robes up properly, that or she's too fat to fit into my clothes." Ayeka does not need to persuade Vegeta on this matter as he can clearly tell that what she is claiming is true. For all her guile Ryoko can't spin a web of lies to get out of this one as she is wearing the offending items, another one of Ayeka's many lavish kimonos but tied up loosely and exposing more flesh than the princess would ever be comfortable with.

" Hey don't go crying to Vegeta, he said I could help myself to your clothes." Flaunting off her newly acquired garments, she jumps and twirls in the air, the kimono billowing out revealing most of her supple legs. She nimbly lands behind the Saiyan and wraps her arms around him with a cheeky smile on her lips.

" Ryoko that is not true. I said you were capable of finding your own not stealing like some common thief." Vegeta turns his head to look at her before removing her arms from his person.

"Same thing. Ayeka why don't you just admit I wear this a helluva lot better than you ever could and by the way if you had anything worth displaying then you'd dress exactly the same as I do." Sighing to himself ,Vegeta momentarily leaves the two women to continue their argument before returning to them with something held in one of his hands. Both women are too engrossed with their row to notice his reappearance. Vegeta clears his throat and calls Ryoko over to him and hands over the small leather purse that he was holding to her. Bouncing this object on her palm she squeals in delight as she hears the jingle of coins coming from inside it and her eyes greedily light up at the sight of the golden cash as she pours the contents out into her hands. Not letting a single one drop on the floor, she replaces them all back into the purse before stuffing the moneybag down the front of her outfit. Overjoyed by such a sizable present, she goes to hug Vegeta. Allowing her to embrace him he explains to her how that money is for her to buy her own clothes with as her arms squeeze tightly around his chest. With that she is off, out of the house and flying off in search of a city, town or anywhere else to spend her zeni. The look of disbelief and shock on Ayeka's face says it all.

" What by the powers of Jurai are you thinking? Giving her money is like rewarding her for her barbaric behaviour. This simply will not do, not at all." Ayeka's annoyance at Vegeta's gift to Ryoko is surfacing clearly.

" It will stop her stealing your clothes won't it? Anyway I only gave her a million zeni or so…" Ayeka's jaw drops at how flippantly Vegeta talks about such a large sum of money. " … and as my son is the sole benefactor of Capsule corporation, that's but a drop in the ocean to the wealth my wife left us." He walks away leaving Ayeka in a stunned silence as her shocked mind tries to comprehend how his level of wealth could rival even hers. Looking out the window at the clear blue sky and the faint breeze stirring branches in the treetops his primal yearning to be outside rather than cooped up in a metal box gets the better of him as he turns to face the princess.

" Lady Ayeka, would it not be in your best interest to learn how to fly during this day? This basic skill will allow you to collect the dragonballs on your own and free up my time as I won't have to lug you around. Come, I will teach you briefly." He beckons her as he leads her outside, the surprised expression is quickly replaced by that of contentment as she follows his lead. With the warm summer sun bearing down on them she stands ready in front of him as he examines her with his sixth sense.

" Yes you have sufficient power so come, demonstrate your ki powers." Vegeta stands with his arms at his, side defenceless and ready for her show of power.

" Ki? What is that Lord Vegeta? I do not understand. Never before have I heard this word used, please explain it to me." The look of befuddlement says it all to Vegeta as he tries to explain to her what ki is. After several fruitless minutes of trying to explain life energy and the force that she tapped into to generate barriers he gives up.

" I … I don't get it. You must be mistaken Lord Vegeta, the power I tap into is the power of the Jurai Royal family that only those of noble birth can access." The sound of his palm impacting into his face resounds and echoes across the landscape.

" Fine then, just tap into your reserves of whatever you want to call it and blast me with all you've got. Don't hold back." He braces his legs and prepares for the impact that never comes.

" What? I couldn't do that. What if I hurt you, oh I couldn't live with myself if anything bad happened to someone because of me." He looks at her and scoffs at the thought of her injuring him. His mocking and laughter at her impotence towards him succeeds in goading her to attack him. As the smoke clears after her blast Vegeta is seen checking his clothing to look at the substantial charring on it whilst Ayeka looks on at him regretting her actions and hoping she didn't hurt him. The lack of any physical harm and the peak of her power he sensed leaves Vegeta disappointed.

" It's been a long time since I met someone weaker than Raditz by that margin. I suppose you do have enough ki for flight though, so start channelling that energy into your feet, the heel not the toes, and slowly try and release it. Don't want you blasting off your shoes now. The key is for it to be nice and steady and perfectly balanced in each foot, feel the flow of your ki and utilise it." He says no more and watches her face furrow in concentration. Many minutes pass and all that happens in that time is most of the morning dew on the grass has been blown off from around Ayeka.

Blades of grass quiver from an unseen force, stirred by a wind not naturally caused. The prince calmly waits as he sees the disturbance in the grass increase in magnitude and the princess' dress start to flutter about. Then, millimetre by millimetre, her feet leave the ground as she begins to hover a measly foot off the ground. No longer is she concentrating with all her willpower but now smiling gaily at her tutor. Her radiant happiness would be infectious to most people but Vegeta simply nonchalantly levitates as well and leads her over the lake at a snail's pace. This simple act of moving whilst in the air is greatly building her confidence in her ability to fly as he continues to help her perform simple aerial manoeuvres. Her pure joy at this simple feat leaves her happily laughing as she ascends and descends with Vegeta above the lake.

"Lord Vegeta this is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Thank you ever so much for taking the time and effort to help me like this." The levitating pair stop over the centre of the lake, faint ripples disturbing the serene waters they are above. Saiyan eyes follow the darting silvery morsels hiding in the lake for a few seconds before looking back at Ayeka.

" Don't thank me yet, you still have a lot of work to do. At the minute you'd be faster walking to gather the dragonballs."

"Indeed. However in such a short span of time how am I ever going to improve so radically a skill I have learnt mere minutes ago."

"I did." His cold, black eyes yield no sign of what he says to be a lie or idle boast. The Juraian princess would find such a fact hard to believe were it not for who was saying it.

" Well … of course a strong warrior would have no trouble accomplishing such a -"

" I was learning to walk at the same time. Both I mastered as an infant in under two hours, that was the day my training started … the training I have been continuing and shall continue until I have no equal in the field of battle." Each sentence Vegeta states with the same inherent lack of emotion that most of his speech retains. Shoes get dangerously close to getting wet as Ayeka's concentration is thrown entirely from her feet, her shock at these things being true is plain for the prince to see. Vegeta never expected anyone to ever understand the ways of his near-extinct race but her reaction was a bit more exaggerated than what he expected.

"Walking and flying in the same day? Training as a toddler? What a weird childhood you must have had, no offense intended." She ascends back the few feet of altitude to get to eye level with him again. Different cultures arise on different planets and as royalty she has been privileged to have seen many in her travels but never before has she heard of a race so utterly dedicated to its military as the Saiyans were.

"Neither those things are strange or peculiar for Saiyans, truth be told those are the only memories I have of my childhood. If you don't start training young it just makes it harder in the long run. Wasting your time playing stupid games, making friends …all useless, all things I did without." His eyes travel upwards as he stares into the middle distance, reminiscing over when he still had a family and a species. Even as a child he was short but that didn't mean his trainers went easy on him, half his life back then was brutal training and the other half recovering from it in the medical machines. He was the child prodigy the likes no one had ever seen before … and will ever see again.

" Lord Vegeta that is … I apologise for being so frank but its sounds like you were denied a happy childhood. Such a lifestyle must have caused great distress in you when at such a young and vulnerable age." Ayeka is a kind soul. Hearing practically that he was subjected to years of abuse for the sake of strength does not sit well with her, she had to speak up about it. The prince's eyes return to the princess' as a smirk returns to his face - a smirk when there are no signs of happiness on his face at all.

"You think that's bad, then try when I was led past the fresh corpse of my father to watch my whole planet explode as the one responsible made me swear an oath of fealty to him. That … that was when my 'childhood' ended and I became a warrior, I was 5." Ayeka is gobsmacked at how flippant he is concerning such a tragic event that no child should ever have had to endure. Her mind can't comprehend how he can act as he does, what should have destroyed his young and fragile mind seems to have left as much of a psychological mark on him as stubbing his toe. She seems more affected by the recounting of his past than he is.

" I … I don't know what to say, except I am sorry for your loss." Heartfelt words to a man with a heart of ice, ice much thinner and weaker than it was when Frieza was still alive but it is still there nonetheless. Vegeta's smirk lessens into a more casual smile. He had forgotten the calming influence of female company, Ayeka's original hostility towards him has all but disappeared.

" I thank you for your kindness but I have no need or want for your sympathies. The past is the past, what matters now is you, Lady Ayeka, and your abilities of flight." The Saiyan's smile is directed to her and she returns it. His arm points towards the open expanse of the air for her to continue flying and him to follow her lead and instruct her further. The few times that her ki fails her and she falters in the air he is always there to catch her and prevent her from taking an early bath. She expected his grip to be constrictively tight because of his stupendous strength yet there is a surprising delicacy to his touch when gravity once again takes its full effect on her. The first time she started to descend rather quickly it took her by surprise when her movements ceased and she felt a slight pressure around her waist; looking to see his arm there keeping her airborne she is in two minds as what to do. As a princess her first thought is to remove the hand touching her and scold him for acting so but the rational part of her brain tells her to leave it be and accept this help, maybe even enjoy this comfortable closeness a little bit.

The man before her is a mass murderer, a walking devil, yet she cannot help but feel at ease in his prescence as he guides her through the air. Her heart skips a beat every time she suffers a lapse in concentration and winds up in his muscular arms. For over a good hour they continue this merry dance of flying about with Ayeka's speed increasing to around that of a horse at full gallop. They don't converse much and spend most of the time in silence except when Vegeta is giving her a few tips to aid her or correcting what she is doing wrong. She realises his attention is starting to drift back towards the house and the room that he spends inordinate amounts of time in, like a drug addict he can only go so long before he craves his next fix. Ayeka has enjoyed her time with him but it would be rude of her to keep him against his well when he would rather be elsewhere.

" Yoo-hoo, Vegeta I'm back!" Ryoko and several large bags full to the brim materialise outside Vegeta's house. Ayeka's focus is lost by this surprise and she forgets all about channelling ki into her legs and plummets towards the lake. Her screams are cut short as Vegeta catches her with one arm and escorts her back to dry land; two amber eyes lock onto this touching . As she is released from his grip Ayeka continues to blush from the intimacy of the moment as the Saiyan strides towards Ryoko.

He eyes the bags and looks at Ryoko who is more than happy to show off her many new purchases if Vegeta tells her what he was doing over the lake with Ayeka. In as many words Vegeta brusquely replies he was teaching her to fly, which in response leads to a torrent of laughter and mockery from Ryoko at the premise of Ayeka being able to fly. As the two women glare at each other waiting for a single spark to ignite their conflict into a full blown fight he intervenes. Their fight between each other is soon forgotten when they feel the strong hands of Vegeta on their shoulders. They turn from each other to look at him and blush at the contact whereas he just looks about disinterestedly and waits to find out what Ryoko went and spent his (technically his wife's) money on.

Both of the two women come back to their senses when he withdraws his hands from them and folds his arms as he looks back to the space pirate smiling widely at him. Ryoko happily rummages through her shopping bags showing off the many things she bought. Around a dozen different multi-coloured outfits she shows to Vegeta, he has no idea where she found clothes the likes of which sheis showing to him but it would be safe to assume that not many other people bought similar clothes. Holding each outfit in front of his face and draping them over the clothes she s already wearing she hopes to gauge by any minute, subtle reaction whether he likes them or not … he couldn't care less. After realising that her new clothing isn't getting much of a reaction from the Saiyan she sidles up to him and quietly whispers in his ear.

" You know I also have a few more … private outfits that I'd be more than willing to show you. Just say the word and you'll be a very lucky man." She winks at him seductively with her eyelashes nearly grazing his cheek as Ayeka watches and scowls, just watching the pirate act as immodestly as she does grates against her dreadfully. Ignoring Ryoko's last comment, he raises one of his eyebrows and points at the many other bags which don't have clothes in and enquires as to their contents. Her mischievous grin widens as she reveals that the contents of all the other bags are all alcoholic beverages of one kind or another but mainly sake and one large cardboard box containing a music playing device. He helps her carry the bags inside for no better reason than for some slight physical exercise as Ayeka excuses herself and leaves them to go and check up on her sister. With the bags set down out of the way Vegeta cannot continue being unproductive and heads off into the training room to see Washu's improvements and test them out for himself. As he starts to open the door to his sanctuary he turns to face Ryoko who was approaching him and about to say something.

" Let me train with you. I'm a space pirate after all, I have to keep up my strength." Ryoko pleads. Vegeta concedes and allows her to join him, knowing full well that she has no motivation for hard work or exercise and only wants to train to spend more time near him. He is getting wise to her little attempts and what she appears to be after but for the life of him he cannot work out why. The single reference point he has for female behaviour is Bulma but he sees few similarities between his dead wife and Ryoko. One interesting thing he did notice was a glint of an unusual emotion in her eyes when she saw him carrying Ayeka. Her reasons for this request might be out of jealousy for the time he spent with Ayeka earlier, if that is the case Vegeta thinks he might have let himself in for more than he originally bargained for allowing her to stay.

That same happy smile appears on Ryoko's face again at what she sees as a small victory edging her closer to her ultimate goal. She dashes off to the pile of shopping and searches around for a particular one of her bags and gets out a red and black, tight fitting, sleeved jumpsuit and begins to change into it there and then; Vegeta sees this and as his eyes start to widen and colour creeps into his cheeks he hurries off into the training room before he sees too much. Not waiting for her to get ready, he boots up the artificial gravity machine and puts it on an automatic setting – one he would never contemplate on using were he training alone - and begins doing pushups. He doesn't look up as Ryoko saunters into the room but stays solely focused on his exercises. Rising up and down his eyes stay fixed on the tiled flooring. She glances at him then idles about exploring this new room she hasn't been in before, inspecting everything like a curious child. Nothing sparks her interest in the training room save for one thing, yet he still hasn't even raised his head to even glance at her. Again she looks at Vegeta, perplexed and annoyed by the lack of attention shown to her. Ryoko thinks that maybe speaking his language will allow her to reach out to him and so begins to do some basic and rudimentary fighting techniques in front of him in a vain attempt to show off. She may continue thinking her motions to be as fluid and fast as a raging river but the Saiyan prince would perceive them more as stop motion animation. Vegeta continues paying no attention until the console has fully loaded and signals the fact with a short high pitched beep. It initiates artificial gravity, starting at ten times Earth's gravity. To Vegeta there is no change, he feels nothing when his body drastically increases in weight, but for Ryoko however it is a different matter.

She has never been under increased gravity situations before, most of the time she is in space and so doesn't feel gravity or weight that often anyway. Her legs suddenly feel like lead and consequently she is finding it difficult to move, but in plain sight of Vegeta she cannot show her weakness and must persevere through it. Blackness rolls down over her vision as all her blood starts to rush down away from her brain and into her feet, at first trying to blink away the blindness in confusion before she sets her circulation back to normal with the help of ki. After a few minutes of pushing herself to her limits, the gravity machine beeps again and it exerts fifty times the natural gravity of the planet. Sweat pours from her brow as Ryoko is brought to her knees under the crushing force that so far is still not effecting Vegeta's movements or actions in the slightest. Such a great constriction upon her internal organs, the very act of breathing becoming a herculean task. Struggling back to her feet Ryoko manages to stand up, but she is shaking violently from the sheer effort of it. Her eyes widen as another beep is emitted along with a rise to seventy five Gs. Crashing down to the floor, with all her strength leaving her she collapses in a heap on the cold metal floor in a puddle of her own perspiration.

Only now does Vegeta look up and across to the space pirate. Looking over at her unconscious form, Vegeta somersaults onto his feet and shuts off the gravity. She withstood the gravity longer than he thought she could considering his estimations of her strength. Kneeling beside her he lowers his head towards hers and places two fingers on her neck, checking her pulse. Her eyelids flutter slightly as he listens to her breathing so as to make sure her life is not in any danger from the experience she has had with high levels of gravity. Ryoko mumbles something but he is unable to decipher the word at first until she repeats it a bit louder and clearer. Her eyes close and body goes limp, she whispered his name. Gently picking her up, he carries her out of the training room to set her down on one of the sofas. Standing back up he looks up at the other woman in the room and freezes. The shock of this woman is paralyzing his brain as he tries to comprehend, but can't. He detects no difference in her ki but physically something has drastically changed.

The woman in front of him is Washu. Her long magenta hair is still the same, her piercing emerald eyes and even her outfit is exactly as it was previously but this one single change she has made to her form is still causing Vegeta's mind to reel. The last time he saw her she was near two feet shorter and around ten years younger. She now has the mature body of a woman and knows it. He continues to stutter and back away from her as his mind is still in disbelief. She slowly struts towards him in an extremely feminine way she was unable to do a few minutes ago, her hips swaying and a predatory aspect firmly locked in her gaze.

" I take it that you no longer wish to be called Little Washu, but what kind of power is this to alter one's own age, did you use one of your blasted machines?" Vegeta spurts out, trying to buy time whilst his mind races as he watches her steadily approach him.

" I do not rely on technology for this, it's a simple feat which anyone of my intellect would be able to accomplish at will." She disinterestedly replies whilst closing the gap to Vegeta who is unsure what to do in this situation. Ayeka strolls into the room bored from seeing her younger sibling so engrossed with those interactive virtual games she was playing and freezes when she sees the all new grown up Washu. Vegeta takes this opportunity where Ayeka basically repeats all of Vegeta's questions towards Washu to slip away unnoticed in the background when her attention is elsewhere.

Now safely upstairs, Vegeta takes a deep breathe to calm himself and regrets inhaling through his nose. Having olfactory sense that are as sensitive as that of a dog, his own personal reek he has managed to produce through all his toil and labour nearly overwhelms him. Remembering his conversation with Washu earlier he thinks 'now would be as good a time as any to see what she has done with my bathroom'. Silently padding down the corridor so that the women won't be alerted to his location he opens the door to what was his bathroom but now seems the doorway to an entire new building.

As far as the eye can see there are pools of pristine waters, fountains made of enamelled metals, jewel encrusted wash basins and flora from around the galaxy decorating the land. Warily he enters, not trusting anything remotely to do with Washu. Carefully he walks around the large heated pool by the entrance and inspects the waters, testing it before deciding to bathe in it for one can never be too careful when Washu is involved. Seeing a storage unit for clothes near the entrance and a towel dispenser he heads back where he entered, closes the door and begins to undress. Folding his clothes and placing them on a shelf he dives head first into the water. He breaks the surface and judges the distance of the length of the pool before starting to swim laps around the Olympic sized pool, for his idea of bathing does not include idling about. He slices through the water with powerful strokes at speeds parallel to those he is capable of on land, churning the water into a steaming, frothing current.

Sasami is bored of being cooped up inside. Trunks' videogames were fun but she has had enough of playing them for the time being and so has wandered off into the forest surrounding Vegeta's house. She isn't the kind of child to go off on her own not telling people where she is so she left a short note on the kitchen table and brought Ryo-ohki along with her for company. She is captivated by the natural beauty all around her and is not paying much attention to how far off the beaten track she has aimlessly wandered. Unfortunately for her she doesn't yet know about the few rare creatures that stalk these remote areas of this planet and at this moment one is watching her right now with its keen reptilian eyes. Slit-like pupils narrow as the unsuspecting Sasami wanders into its hunting grounds. The Juraian child kneels to pick some of the many vibrantly colourful flowers and sniff their aromatic fragrance when an ominous, low, thundering growl shakes through her.

Slowly she timidly raises her head to see the large, mottled green, scaly foot in front of her. In a frightened state of shock, she continues looking up to see the full size of this terrifying Paozusaurus as it slowly opens its mouth. The large horns protruding in a ring from the thick hide around the nape of the beast's neck get caught in the lower branches of the trees it was using to stage its ambush. Sasami prays that the terrifying theropod will stay stuck but that hope quickly diminishes when she hears large pieces of wood smashing down around her. Petrified, she stumbles backwards and begins to scream whilst Ryo-ohki stands her ground and hisses at the gigantic dinosaur. The high pitched screaming aggravates the dinosaur and so it responds with a deafening, ear-splitting roar. Dumbstruck, the trembling princess falls over backwards. Saliva drools from its razor sharp maw as it moves it's head closer towards it's trapped prey, terrified beyond her senses the little girl cries out for her big sister to help her. She shuts her eyes tight, hoping against all hope that when she reopens them it will be gone and it all to have been a bad dream.

As impending doom looms closer and her tears start wetting her face a thunder like whip-crack resounds through the air. The jaws of death stop inches away from Sasami's face. She trepidatiously opens her eyes to see a thin sliver of blood trace around the predators neck as its eyes gaze at her with a glazed expression. Sasami shies away again. The earth shakes and she feels the hem of her dress getting wet causing a fresh outburst of tears from her. When she feels a hand on her shoulder she nearly jumps out of her skin with fright.

" Heh, that was fun you wanna play some more?" Trunks impishly grins at her as she looks back at the freshly decapitated animal. With blood dripping from her dress, she runs off back to the house so her sister can comfort her leaving a bemused Trunks wondering whether he said something wrong as he sheathes his sword.

Back in the house, the space pirate rises from her slumber and looks about to see where she is. Slowly she recalls what happened and hears the drone of voices coming from the kitchen, still weary she can only just make out the sobs of Sasami and the gentle reassurances of her sister. Not interested in the slightest with the Juraian royals, she gets up on to her feet and winces at the pain in her screaming muscles and sits back down grasping at her agonised quadriceps. A few minutes pass as she massages her muscles back into working condition again, easing their pain with what vestiges of energy she has recovered during her lack of consciousness. She set out to prove herself to be a strong woman in front of Vegeta and ended up with him … she actually ended up with him leaning over her, checking she was alright and tenderly lifting her up to take her to safety. All things considered Ryoko can't count that as a total loss. Able to move again, the space pirate then phases in pursuit of the one she tried to impress with her physical abilities but failed miserably. Not sure where he is, she searches for a good long while before she pops her heads through one of the many doors to see a flurry of activity that could only be the one she seeks. No-one else she knows would not be relaxing in the soothing hot baths that apparently are hidden behind this door or capable of evaporating most of the nearby pools bone dry through friction alone.

Fully phasing through the door so as not to attract attention from the swimmer, a wide grin splits her face from cheek to cheek as she giggles and slowly starts to remove her clothing. Throwing the battle outfit in a rumpled heap on the floor she teleports into the large pool directly in front of the torpedo speeding through the water called Vegeta. A sudden spike of ki is sensed by Vegeta as he halts in the water mid-stroke and water from his massive wake engulfs him and the person in front of him. Steaming the water from his eyes with energy, he already knows that it is Ryoko before him but he was not prepared for the sights he saw.

He blushes immensely seeing her wet and naked body before him before realising that his state of dress is no different to hers. His face turns an even deeper shade of red watching her scan his body with her feline eyes, tracking the drips of water working their way down him. Ryoko begins to slowly swim towards him with a wry smile on her face. Not needing to tread water as he can fly, Vegeta quickly improvises and uses one of Piccolo's techniques to instantly materialise and spawn clothing on himself. Frowning at his … reluctance … she continues slowly swimming towards him in such a way to show off her womanly curves and body the most. With limited options and wanting to find out what the hell is going on in his life, he stops her by placing his hand on her damp forehead. She is confused at him by such a random place to touch her as she looks at his closed eyes and thinks of a few different places she'd prefer that hand to be. A weird, indescribable sensation diffuses through her skull and fills her head causing her to recoil away from his hand. With physical contact broken the feeling in her skull cavity immediately vanishes. She pauses and looks at him as he slowly opens his eyes with a worried and embarrassed look on his face.

" Wh ... what was that?" She asks inquisitively as she sees him slowly backing away, she continues moving towards him as he lifts his body out of the water. He reluctantly looks at her again.

"I … I used a technique I saw Kakarot use on Namek one time, thought I might give it shot. I … I- I just read your thoughts, … I know. " He slowly says, it takes a while for his words to sink in. Ryoko looks puzzled still for a bit and then it hits her, it hits her as hard as if he had punched her. He knows. He has probed her, although not in the way he now knows she would like, and her secrets must have been revealed to him. She has no way of knowing how much of her inner thoughts were exposed to him just now but by his reaction it obviously included what was on her mind at that second in time. She turns a very deep shade of crimson as she blushes from what he must know, embarrassment is a rare emotion for this vagabond of the void but his little technique could have cut through her outer thoughts and down towards her deeper, hidden feelings that even she isn't so sure about yet. With her distracted, Vegeta dries himself instantaneously and makes his getaway out of the bathroom … straight into Princess Ayeka.

Barging into her accidently he once again catches her and puts her back on her feet before her brain has even time to comprehend what this sudden movement is or that it even occurred, but this time his hands stay on her shoulders. Inside his mind he is still wrestling with the thoughts and images he obtained from Ryoko and he can't help but wonder if such a thing has made things better or far worse.

" I apologise Lady Ayeka, I – I did not see you there, my … my mind was elsewhere."

"Oh, that's Ok Lord Vegeta. I should have been paying more attention to … why … why are you umm … . Lord Vegeta, why are you touching me?" The shock of walking down a corridor and then having the Saiyan face to face with her has worn off now; she has noticed his close proximity to him and that he has not removed his hands from her person yet. For her this is a tad too intimate, him being stood right before her and with a strange look on his face. He places his hand on her forehead. Startled by the sudden movement, she is about to say something and then senses the light pressure of his hand on her head and the other feeling oozing into her cranium, she frowns in discomfort.

" I had to clear some things up so … your thoughts have been read by me." Vegeta says as he takes his hand off her forehead whilst blushing again. Her look turns from one of confusion to realisation to embarrassment to anger. She tries to shove him back away from herself as a great rosiness graces her cheeks but he doesn't budge an inch due to her efforts.

" How … h-how dare! You i-invade me in such a personal manner, it … i-it's not right! A v-violation of this magnitude … . H-hey come back here, I'm not finished with you!" Not wanting to get a lecture on the moral issues surrounding knowing a persons innermost thoughts, he continues his escape from the woman irate at him and leaps down the staircase in a single bound. All his life he has lived with but one single woman who ever saw him in a kind light, and that wasn't even his own mother. Having not truly mastered that level of telepathy he cannot be certain if what he ascertained was indeed true but thinking on the way both Ryoko and Ayeka reacted when he confessed to his deeds doesn't leave much room for doubt. Knowing only of one way to solve the problem of the troubling things he has found out he swiftly enters Washu's lab and finds her sitting in her hover cushion only a few metres from the interdimensional doorway. Still running, he goes up to her and demands to know how long until the dragon radars are ready for use. She swivels round to face him with a smile on her face, it slipped his mind that she was in the body of an adult now and how she acted before he took his bath.

" How nice of you to come. I knew it was only a matter of time before you paid me a little private visit, hehe. You really should knock though, who knows what I might've been doing in here." By the time she has stood up Vegeta has had enough of being messed around with and takes matters into his own hands and he is damn sure that he doesn't need to read her mind. Both Ayeka and Ryoko were hiding some small token of affection for him within their minds - Ayeka keeping it concealed a lot better than Ryoko – and such a fact his own mind is having trouble processing. They have been here but a few days maximum, it took Bulma several months to warm up to him by that degree; he wonders to himself what has he done to deserve this. From the start Ryoko appeared to have an unhealthy obsession with his physique yet he thought that was just an act put on so that he would allow her to stay in his house not something stemming from emotion. Ayeka on the other hand came as a total shock and what is going through Washu's mind would probably scare even him. Disappearing and reappearing in the same instant, he now holds all five dragon radars that Washu has been working on. To him they look the exact same: same shape, same display, same lone button. Frowning at his rejection of her half-hearted advances she watches him press the single button on top of each radar for the same response; no dragon balls detected. Infuriated, he crushes one in his hands and glares at Washu.

" Tell me you didn't break them, or you will suffer the same fate." With his gritted teeth bared, Washu knows he is serious but remains unmoved by his show of aggression.

" None of the core electronics were changed, they all work perfectly fine. You think the greatest scientific genius in the universe would create a faulty product?" Her eyes show she is not lying and that leaves only one other explanation left, could he have been so preoccupied with his training he did not realise? Angry with himself now, he casts aside the radars at Washu who manages to catch most of them as he vanishes into thin air.

Landing once again at Mount Paozu in the same crater he formed nearly a year ago, he attempts to calm himself down before approaching the two buildings in this primeval wilderness. He bellows out the name of the only other surviving member of his race and waits for a response; the echoes of his bellows bouncing off the many mountains die down before he calls out for him again. The door to the main house slams open and nearly falls off its hinges.

" What is it?! Oh, its you. My husband has gone away with our Gohan and will be back soon. If you're here to start a fight then take it elsewhere." The annoyed housewife reluctantly lets him into her house to await Goku when he declares he has no intention of fighting today. Neither of them are pleased with the situation they are currently in, they sit across from each other at the dining table and wait. The seconds drag on and the silence is left unbroken for what seems like an eternity; having spent years at a time in transit between planets Vegeta sits patiently until he hears the pitter patter of little feet.

" Um, Mr Vegeta sir, is Trunks here?" Vegeta doesn't bother to look at Goten and just slowly shakes his head. The disappointed kid then wanders off leaving the two adults alone again. More minutes pass before Vegeta decides to break the ice.

" So tell me woman, when is that kid of yours going to get round to marrying that daughter of a clown." Apparently the first topic that came into his head wasn't the best subject as talking about it seems to have displeased Chichi.

" I don't know. Maybe later this year some time. Why, are wedding bells on the horizon for you too?" He didn't expect the question to be turned back round on him like that and resents the implications this woman is making. His eyes narrow and his brows furrow.

" Whatever you're thinking you can forget it, those women mean nothing to me!" He snarls at her, only just stopping himself from bringing his fist down onto the table. Her only response to his outburst is a sly raising of her eyebrows, the insinuations in those dark eyes cause his facial capillaries to expand.

" It's OK, most people do choose to move on after the death of a loved one. In those seven long years without my Goku I was tempted to find company for those long and lonesome nights … but, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It just wouldn't have been right with Goten and Gohan … and I knew he was going to return to me someday." Not sure what to do with what she has just confessed to him another awkward silence begins and lasts until voices can be heard nearing the house. Goku doesn't manage to set a foot into his own house as Vegeta immediately heads for him and grabs the front of his gi. Paying no attention to the young couple who have entered with Goku, he snarls at him and lifts him off the ground.

" Kakarot, were you the one who used the dragonballs? Answer me!" He continues to lift him higher but Goku's height advantage makes it difficult to lift him any further. Not feeling threatened and used to this sort of behaviour, Goku just scratches his head trying to think back as to whether he did or not. Goku carries on thinking for a while as Vegeta's patience breaks. A pulsing vein stands out prominently on the Saiyan prince's forehead.

" It's not a difficult question you damn fool. The dragon radar is not picking up any dragonballs, therefore they must be inert as someone used them and that someone is you!"

" But I haven't used the dragonballs I swear Vegeta, at least I don't think so." Vegeta seems reluctant to accept this answer but yields and drops Goku back to the ground.

" No. Dad didn't use them, I did." The prodigal son of Goku steps forward facing Vegeta who's eyes focus and narrow on him maliciously. " I gathered them and used them around three months ago, I only used one wish and that was for world peace; it's about time they were used for such a noble purpose."

" A Saiyan wishing for peace? I hope my son doesn't get that sort of cowardice from a human mother." With that last disparaging remark he barges through them and jets off back to his home to face the music.

Back with his house in sight and his feet with firm ground beneath them, he holds his head in hands before approaching and entering his house. Trying to appear confident and in control of the situation he walks in to find all the female occupants of his house squeezed onto one of the sofas and sobbing at a wishy-washy romance flick they found on the upgraded TV-hologram. Not in the least bit interested by any of the broadcasts from earthlings, he looks again at the women who have taken over his life. Ignoring the film, Ryoko and Ayeka look up at him and dry their eyes whilst blushing from the memories of their last, extremely personal encounter. If only all of the women in his house acted like them, for at a speed at which any normal being would have been taken unaware Washu stands and goes to envelop Vegeta in her slender arms. Unfortunately for her his reaction time puts insects to shame and she is left holding nothing but air whilst he looks on unimpressed from the other side of the room.

" Whilst you lazed about I went off to Kakarot's shabby hut to solve our little situation, unfortunately I don't return with good news…" The women seem interested by what he has to say and so switch off the television set to listen to him recount what he found out whilst visiting his rival and the implications of it. " … The dragonballs will remain inactive for up to a whole month, so Ayeka and Sasami you will be stuck her for a while..." He then looks towards the other two women. " … and only one wish will be available for use." Washu and Ryoko look down disheartened by this turn of events and the space pirate groans.

" Oh well, guess it can't be helped. We'll just have to keep you company for a little while longer … and for the kind hospitality I even made a few more changes in your little training room. …" Washu's announcement gets Vegeta's attention as he looks quizzically at her wondering what she's been up to in his absence. " … If you must know all I did was simply install a holographic simulator that allows you to refight any battles that were recorded on those primitive discs of yours." This news is the best he has heard in a long while, his face lights up as he prepares for what he deems to be a very important occasion. As he goes upstairs to put on his Saiyan armour, Washu sits back down next to the women and quietly says to them. " I also built in observation cameras that feed directly to this television so we can watch him whilst he trains." Both Ryoko and Ayeka rush for the remote to turn back on the television. Having slipped on a clean new pair of white gloves and boots, he lowers the expandable chest piece over his head and readies himself for battle. A few stretches to warm up his muscles and the Saiyan is ready to go to war.

Entering the metal chamber he notices a small amount of minor changes: a few new buttons here and there on the main console and a weird metallic box embedded with many glinting lights and diodes hanging from the ceiling, but apart from that it's the same training chamber. Looking at the buttons he is glad to see that Washu has labelled them clearly and in the language of earthlings which he is now accustomed to. Gleefully pushing a combination of buttons, he makes one of his most sought after dreams come true. For a decade this was denied to him but now the prince can have another shot at victory. The walls of the training chamber fade and are replaced by the rolling hills of blue grass and seas of green water, by a sky lit with multiple suns and no life in sight except for a few spindly Ajisa trees dotting the landscape. Before him a figure is simulated into existence, a small figure of the same height as Vegeta, the same figure he has wanted to pulverise into the dirt all of his life.

The white and purple alien standing before him is Lord Frieza in his final form with his tail swishing restlessly from side to side. The being responsible for his race's destruction, his father's death, his first death and why Goku was able to ascend to levels of power that were but a legend for him stands in that same arrogant and confident manner when Vegeta first fought against him. He has to give it to Washu, she has perfectly recreated this foe as he listens to the mighty conqueror of the universe rant on about his awesome power and how he, a small, pathetic monkey, will not take any effort to defeat. Having listened to monologues like that from Frieza in the past he smirks at the memory and how Frieza still thinks he was as weak as he was on Namek.

Vegeta steadily gets into a defensive fighting position and with two fingers goads Frieza into trying his luck against him. Frieza smirks at what he thinks is overconfidence on the Saiyan's part and gladly accepts the challenge. The one who once ruled most of the known sectors of the Milky Way charges straight and true into Vegeta. Vegeta doesn't move, he makes not a single effort to dodge or block and before he knows it Frieza is laying into him left, right and centre. Blow after blow lands on Vegeta; the Saiyan armour cracking and fracturing under the humongous levels of force until Frieza decides to finish it with a vicious swipe to the Saiyan's face. The punch lands but, unfortunately for the virtual Frieza, all it does is simply move Vegeta's head slightly to the side.

" No, no it can't be. The legends can't be true. Impossible, you can't have become one." Frieza slowly backs away from the Saiyan prince trembling as he sees that he is more or less uninjured. A flash of light and the piercing blue eyes of a super Saiyan are staring directly at Frieza with only one thing in mind. Savouring the moment he appears behind Frieza with one of his arms outstretched to the side and turns back to look at the still form of Frieza. Purple blood jets high into the air as the ruler of the universe's head rolls clean off his shoulders and comes to a rest at a pair of white boots. The detached head stares at him lifelessly as Vegeta brings his foot down slowly in sadistic glee, crushing his skull and loving the sound it makes. Frieza is now nothing more than a decapitated corpse and a smear of purple staining the grass.

" He … he killed Frieza in a single blow?" Ryoko stares at the screen gobsmacked. She might have seen that he was strong but never did she think he was so strong as to voluntarily take a beating from what she thought to be the most powerful being in the galaxy and still be standing afterwards. What happens next shocks her even more.

Smiling and laughing manically with his old bloodlust returning to him and sending him spiralling down into the mind-set of a berserker, he punches in several commands into the control panel and awaits his entertainment. This time his fight isn't a one on one, he chose instead to input ten of the tyrannical ruler to duel with him. War erupts. Fending off all of the heartless monsters at once the battle rages for over an hour but only because he allows it to. Not wanting to spoil his fun as he toys with them pitilessly, watching their anger turn to irritation and frustration before his recreated foes realise this battle was decided before it had even begun. Confidently controlling the battle the whole time, he ascends to his highest levels of power in the transformation to super Saiyan 3 for no other reason but to see the fear in his opponents eyes, those red pupils once filled with sociopathic remorselessness now holding only the look of overpowering terror. One after another is brutally executed in painfully torturous ways as he exacts his lost revenge on them all. Limbs are severed, spines are broken, bodies flayed, torsos pulverised, bones shattered and Vegeta remains untouched. Every one of them failed to land a single hit on him.

The women watch in stunned awe as they try and fail to follow his speed and agility on the projected hologram. Washu begins to mutter to herself as she attempts to calculate the impossibilities of the feats she is witnessing and mumbling incomprehensible science jargon and formulas. Ayeka doesn't know whether to turn away in disgust at the gratuitous amounts of bloodshed and appaling violence or to watch the nightmare figure she was told of during her childhood, the one who threatened the Juraian empire daily, be slaughtered without mercy. Ryoko continues to stare at the screen in amazement, even when the victorious warrior emerges from the chamber in broken armour and his jumpsuit only charred from the power of his own blasts. He continues past the women still in his super Saiyan three state which all but Ryoko have never seen before at such proximity. Ignoring the unwanted attention he is getting, he heads upstairs and shortly afterwards is coming back down dragging his son behind him.

He stops outside the door to the training room and simply points towards it. Trunks, knowing better than to argue with his father, goes in there and unsheathes his sword. Vegeta goes back to where the women are and leans on the back of the sofa and powers down back to his base form. Ayeka looks at him, unsure of what to make of such a monstrously powerful person so close to her, someone who by any rights is hardly any better than the alien she witnessed him slaughter. But that isn't true, years ago maybe he was ruthless and vicious but at this moment in time all she sees is his fatherly pride shine through as he watches his son stand his ground and take on the same despot he fought with. His son has to go super Saiyan to fight the son of King Cold, but in the end Frieza is overpowered and tastes the cold steel of Trunks' honed blade. Weary from the exertion of fighting a foe so strong, Trunks nearly bumps into his father looking down on him, some minor wounds and lacerations marring the child. The descendant of Saiyan heritage looks up with a weak smile at his father who returns the smile and puts his gloved hand on his son's head.

" I'm proud of you son. Remember that, always. You fought well, now off with you." Vegeta ruffles the purple hair of his son as the youth runs back upstairs. Watching his son as he disappears around a corner he turns to face the three women. No longer with a smile of pride or battle euphoria, his stone cold expression takes control of his face once again as he begins his speech.

" All of you will still be welcome in my home during this delay waiting for the dragonballs to become active again. However, none of you are allowed to show or express in any way your … your interest in me. That is unless you prove yourselves to be worthy to me." They all see how deadly serious he is but Ryoko and Ayeka can't help a little blush at how bluntly he has acknowledged their feelings for him, how the princess wishes that he did not have telepathic powers.

" Prince Vegeta, … h-how might one go about proving themselves if they … , um…" Too embarrassed to continue, she blushes and just cannot say it aloud in front of so many peers.

" All it would take for any of you to prove your worth would be to cause me to bleed." Vegeta sternly replies, turning from them to leave the room. All the women seem apprehensive by the gargantuan task set before them and Ayeka more so than the others, for she does not want to try and physically harm him in any way. If even Frieza himself could leave little to no damage on him what hope in hell do any of them stand.

" Yaaargh!" Ryoko shouts and in a flash is across the room with her energy sword stabbed down into Vegeta's armour. A faint sizzling sound is heard in the deathly silence as Vegeta slowly turns his head around to look at Ryoko. He smirks at her as she dissipates the sword to see her efforts were in vain for she didn't even singe one of his hairs. Content with how he has sorted out the situation, he leaves the room as Ayeka glowers at Ryoko for making the first move.

The women then go their separate ways with Washu slinking off back into her realm to reanalyse all the data she has collected on the Saiyan prince to pinpoint any of his weaknesses. Her research is faultless, her methodology superb, but she is probably the only one in the household who can truly comprehend the sheer force and power known as Vegeta. Not truly disheartened by the news for she has no true romantic feelings towards the head of the house, she turns her attention to other projects she has been studiously working on. Her research into upgrading her 'Dimension Cannon' would probably yield enough power to hurt Vegeta, saying it was designed as a weapon of mass destruction capable of eradicating small galaxies, but she doubts he is going to stand still long enough for it to be set up, charge and fire.

Ryoko sees whether trying to do some training like Vegeta to raise her strength to his level would do her any good but falters at the door remembering what happened last time she tried that and so goes for a nap instead to think. Attempting a more subtle approach, Ayeka roams about the house and finds her younger sister still playing video games with Trunks. Saying she is playing against someone who has a lot of experience at the game and can control his body at supersonic speeds she is doing exceptionally well against him. Casually Ayeka asks Trunks about his father and whether he might have any metaphorical chinks in his armour.

" Weaknesses? No! My dad's the strongest guy in the universe." With that Ayeka sees it is hopeless and leaves the two children to their games. Both Ayeka and Ryoko have not a single grain of hope at causing the Saiyan prince injury and that is exactly why Vegeta set that as their challenge.

Hours pass and the sun is now low in the sky, dinner has been had and everyone is resting and letting their meals go down … save one. The man who never indulges in relaxation is sat on his own in the corner of the room meditating, trying to ignore all external stimuli. Having opened one of the many bottles she bought earlier Ryoko is on her way to intoxication rapidly. Not following her example Ayeka and Washu refrain from drinking too much and only have a glass each, even this is pushing it for the princess of Jurai though having never dabbled with firewater before.

Ryoko did try and offer Vegeta a drink but she should have known that he would never touch anything that could bring harm to the body he has worked so hard to perfect and improve. Ayeka notices that Vegeta is still trying to distance himself from her and throws occasional glances at him not sure what to do. The mood in the room would be a cold and sour one if not for Ryoko's drunken debauchery that is obviously severely irritating Ayeka. Stumbling across the room and almost tripping over Ayeka's feet, Ryoko snatches the remote and turns on the TV with no thought or care about what the other people in the room want to watch.

" Ryoko turn that off right now. I don't want to be watching such vile things, if I did I'd simply look at your face." The first thing that caught Ryoko's eye was an old horror movie that does not sit well with the princess' delicate sensibilities. The reply she gets is Ryoko's tongue stuck out at her followed by many more rude faces and gestures. Ayeka snaps and a full blown row between her and the now instantly sober Ryoko is in full flight. Slinking away in the background, Vegeta heads into his sanctuary and sighs to himself then does a few warm up stretches to prepare himself for the course he has decided to take. Over the past hour he has been readying his mind and body for this ultimate challenge.

The loud clunk of the training room bulkhead sized door interrupts the women's argument and Ryoko pushes a button and Vegeta appears on the holographic display in front of them. Seeing that arguing will get her nowhere and that she is now watching something she wants to, Ayeka calms down and sits back on the comfortable sofa. Trunks and Sasami come inside as they were playing outside but the dim lighting has forced them to end their game. The display shows Vegeta press several buttons and stand back from the controls as a rolling grassy landscape appears. The greens of the grass and blues of the sky seem more vibrant and alive than those of Earth but there is one blip of colour on the horizon, a small dot of pink.

" Huh, what's that … it looks like, no. Oh no. What is dad doing!" Trunks seems scared for his father as the pink blob starts to oscillate and slowly take on the form of a small pink humanoid with a long head tentacle wearing some baggy white trousers. It takes a while for the women to place this villain from the recordings they watched a few days ago, but when they recognise Kid Buu they start to share Trunks' apprehension and fear.

Vegeta slowly strides towards Buu who has taken up beating his chest and hollering for a reason still unknown to Vegeta. Soon there is barely a few metres between Vegeta and the short menace of the universe, and then they're off. Minutes pass before any sign of the warriors emerge and then all it is are many of the hills and cliffs randomly vaporising or getting blown apart. Then both fighters appear exchanging blows and blasts right next to each other. Vegeta was hoping his newfound strength in super Saiyan three would give him an advantage, but he is forced to use the form just to keep up with the speed of Buu.

The shockwaves and explosions from their intense duel is cracking the planets crust around them, the land deforming beneath their feet. Only rarely does either pugilist land a blow on the other and each impact is devastating. Vegeta never seems to have the upper hand as fatigue sets in from maintaining the transformation and the way that every single injury he lands on Buu is instantly healed by his regenerative powers. Pumping up his strength and increasing his power to the highest he has ever got it, he charges Buu in a last ditch attempt to try and vanquish him as he can't rely on a spirit ball from Goku this time.

The lightning fast combo of strikes raining down on Buu is too much for him and his guard soon breaks, taking blows to every part of his body and disrupting his amorphous form. The flurry of violence has taken a lot out of Vegeta who is sweating profusely and consequently is nanoseconds too slow to get his guard back up after the last blow. Buu repays every single blow to Vegeta tenfold as the Saiyan is slammed around and into the planet, decimating the landscape further. Trying to climb back out of a crater his own body made when he was sent to the ground a sharp cracking sound bursts from his outstretched arm. He shrieks in agony at his now shattered arm and the continual assault from Kid Buu which he is now helpless to defend himself against. Executing a final move, Buu charges and unleashes a point blank range, salmon coloured Kamehameha wave inches away from the battered prince.

The audience watching him look on with horror and disbelief as Vegeta is enveloped in a blinding light … slowly the smoke and debris from the blast clears. Only just able to get his guard up, Vegeta smoulders as he grimaces at the pain that racks his entire body in great throes. Protecting his own life with his broken and ruined arm he is left with only fragments of pulverised bone left in the mangled flesh that was his arm, the rest of his radius and ulna are jutting out of his arm or embedded in the small amount of armour that has survived intact and his chest in jagged splinters.

A grim look of pain and determination crosses his face and the anger from the throbbing pain his tortured body is hardly coping with gives him the required boost of energy he needed. Buu is just staring beady eyed with his mouth open, unable to comprehend how his attack didn't kill him. The hesitation of Buu is interrupted by an uppercut to the chin, rocketing the pink destroyer high into the atmosphere of the Supreme Kai's planet. Recovering in orbit of the planet, Buu unleashes wave after wave of pink coloured ki blasts at the crumbling planet. An iron grip encircles Buu as Vegeta instant transmissions behind him, grapples the mighty foe and dives towards the jagged rocks of the planet below.

Buu's ability of transformation are no help when it tries to escape from the warrior's grip, the first hint of escape and Vegeta summons multiple manacles of pure energy wrapping around his adversary. Letting go and coming to a dead stop only a few feet from the desecrated planet, Vegeta starts gathering energy as Buu hurtles through kilometres of rock into the molten core of the planet. Hoping the intense heat and pressure of the inner core will slow down Buu and buy him a few precious seconds, Vegeta cups his hands, or what remains of them, together and executes a Gallick gun.

The planet and the destructive force known as Buu are instantly obliterated from existence in a shining amethyst conflagration. The last remaining vestige of energy that Vegeta had is gone as he floats in the vacuous abyss of where the planet's implosion flung him, now in base form and bleeding from more wounds then he has intact bones. Coughing up even more vital fluids he manages a faint whisper to deactivate the training room (for Washu also installed voice commands). Like a lead balloon he falls and collapses onto the cold tiles.

Ayeka and Ryoko watch in deathly silence as he struggles to rise then slumps, unable to move the wreck of a body he has. At the sight of him not moving they rush to the thick metal door to get to him, as Ayeka struggles with the weight of it Ryoko phases through. Not being able to get up at all, Vegeta just manages to lift his head to see Ryoko flying towards him and Ayeka in the doorway with the door swung wide open.

" Console, 750G!" He shouts through gritted teeth, knowing full well what will come. Lights on the console start to flash and Ryoko gets herself out of the room quickly, hovering next to the princess, both with no way to get to him.

" LEAVE … ME …B … BE!" Vegeta screams at them as his fractured body is slowly being crushed, intensifying all of his wounds to limits previously undreamed of in the realms of agony. Trying as hard as he can, he stops himself from yelling out at the world of pain his body is forced to endure. No more can he keep his head up to look at them. His head thuds to the floor slick with the crimson fluid that is pouring out of him with a resounding, meaty thud.

Helplessly looking around for a way to reach Vegeta, the women start to fret and worry for his very life just when a blonde saviour goes to his father's rescue. Being the only one in the house able to survive in the conditions Vegeta has left his prone body in, he quickly flies in and back out again carrying his father. Carefully laying his father down on the vacated sofa, Trunks stays by his father's side as Ryoko and Ayeka hasten to see if he's OK – or more realistically going to survive. Drifting off into unconsciousness Vegeta smiles weakly seeing the two women leaning over him and his son by his side. A sadistic smile births itself on the red lips of the woman stood in the shadows of the room.

" Well looks like someone will need a little bit of medical attention. Don't worry, my lab is fully outfitted with all necessary equipment for me to nurse him back to health. Just leave him to me -" Chuckling to herself Washu looks down at the ravaged, barely alive body.

" Leave dad alone, he doesn't need your help." Trunks steps forward in-between her and his father, he is still in his super Saiyan state with his golden aura illuminating the room.

" Don't be unreasonable, just look at him. Only I have the knowledge and facilities to heal him. It's not like you can take him to a hospital, or have you got a plan for when they find out he's from another planet." Washu grins at how the situation is turning in her favour when Trunks decides enough is enough and carries the soon to be corpse of his dad elsewhere. The women tail him, anxious for the health of Vegeta, and stay by his side as Trunks lays his father down on his bed. The son looks back at Ayeka and Ryoko before opening a window and diving out of it, flying off into the sunset's amber gleam. Washu ,who was slowly following behind like a wolf stalking its prey, eventually gets to the room to see the two women barring her entrance.

" It is our duty as guests in this house to respect the wishes of Trunks so I will not let you in."

" Yeah, what she said. Beat it Washu, go on scram." With that they slam the door in Washu's face and go to Vegeta's bedside inspecting the extreme major damage he has sustained. After a few minutes Sasami hurries into the room, past Washu sat down outside of it, and hands over a small first aid box she managed to find in the kitchen. Still disturbed by the bloodshed she saw earlier she has to leave the room whilst Ayeka and Ryoko carefully and tenderly nurse his bloody lacerations, gaping wounds and gore pumping slashes. The provisions that Sasami gave them were basic and all they could do was bandage the worst of his wounds and try to stop the worst of the haemorrhaging. The Juraian princess though does not have the stomach to watch as the silvery haired rogue yanks out the pieces of forearm lodged in Vegeta's chest. The cooperation between the two rivals lasts a long time, that is until Ryoko has the smart idea of taking advantage of the comatose Vegeta.

" Well Ayeka, it wouldn't be proper if we didn't check all of his body for injuries would it now. So you just leave the room and I'll check under here…" Ryoko puts her hand on the Saiyan armour preparing to remove what isn't seared to his mutilated flesh. Ayeka slaps her hand away threateningly.

" How dare you! He has been mortally wounded and you still have such abhorrent base thoughts on that filthy mind of yours. Have you no compassion?" The women are about to lock horns when a great whooshing sound draws their attention. Landing back at his father's bedside, Trunks - back in base form - pays no attention to the squabbling women and feeds his dad a senzu bean. Reflexively the bean is swallowed.

The eyes of the warrior snap open as the bean works its magic repairing his body and providing him sustenance. Leaping out of bed he shrugs off the tightly woven bandages the women affectionately applied. Not sure what just happened, the women look startled at Vegeta and how he is perfectly fine. As Trunks walks out of the door Washu seizes the opportunity and enters, to find to her disappointment her services are no longer required.

Turning around slowly and surveying his room and the women in it Vegeta smiles as he walks back to his bed. The women still look on unsure as he removes the sheets from his bed that were soiled with his blood and rips off what is left of his Saiyan armour. Without replacing any of the bedding he lays himself back down on the hard bed with several new scars on his chest and arms and small patches of carbonised clothing being the only thing protecting his modesty. Ryoko and Ayeka approach him and investigate whether he is as miraculously healthy as he appears. Staring up at the three women crowded around him he quietly asks them to leave him in peace. Ryoko and Ayeka put up no argument and leave, understanding he will want to rest after his near death ordeal.

" You ended up in a bit of a sorry state back there … and it was **my** invention that caused all your bloodshed so…" Washu slyly sidles closer to Vegeta and leans over his bed.

" You just try it woman and I'll show you bloodshed." Vegeta stares at the ceiling not looking at her. With that threat in mind, Washu silently walks out of the room dejected and closes the door behind her leaving Vegeta alone.


	5. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 5: Day 5

Chapter 5

Waking up from a long and undisturbed sleep, Vegeta arises from his bed and sleepily trudges out of his room. Being awake only in the minimal sense of the word, he slowly staggers down the hallway and towards his bathroom to freshen himself up. Pushing the door open and letting it close by itself behind him, Vegeta rubs the sleep from his eyes as he takes off the few ragged scraps of clothes left on him. Ripping the useless garments from his gnarled body, he discards them in a heap on the floor next to another pile of clothes he has failed to notice.

With a deep yawn, the gears in his head start to chug into life and as he opens his heavy eyelids a torrent of gushing blood rushes forth from his nostrils. Clutching his bleeding nose and gawping about in alarm, Vegeta stands wide eyed in shock; the other bathers in the room soon realise they are not alone anymore. Piercing screams ring through his head and echo off the tiles as the naked princess of Jurai attempts to cover herself before turning her back to him and desperately running off for a towel. Regrettably for Vegeta the other bather is not ashamed in the slightest at being seen in the nude, in fact she seems to be rather pleased with this turn of events. The air hisses as Ryoko phases behind the stock-still Saiyan and cuddles him, slim arms firmly wrapped around his beefy neck, pressing her body against his back as she lightly rests her chin on one of his shoulders.

" You're bleeding Vegeta. … So now with that silly little challenge of yours done, let's have some fun." She whispers delicately into his ear, her hot, steamy breath caressing his cheeks as his face turns the same shade as the blood dripping through his fingers. Not knowing what to do, whether to try and cover himself up or stop his nose bleeding, to try and turn and run, the Saiyan's mind goes into meltdown. Ryoko's hands soon start to eagerly explore the smooth musculature of Vegeta's shoulders, back and finally chest whilst he stands still in shock. Like water cruising peacefully down hard, rocky riverbeds, the cyan haired woman's fingers lightly trace down the many scars of the Saiyan prince. The churning cogs in his brain barely got enough time to warm themselves up before they came crashing down to a grinding halt, his body senses her touch but his mind rejects it. Appearing once again but now wearing a silk smooth light pink bathing towel tightly tied around herself for modesty, Ayeka comes back into view charging towards Ryoko.

" Unhand Lord Vegeta this instant you foul demon!" Her cheeks still flushed with colour from being caught and seen in the nude by a man for the first time, she draws closer to the two sources of her distress. Yet she fails, for she cannot bring herself to look at, or go, any nearer to the naked body of the near vegetable state Saiyan.

" Hahaha, what was the princess? Didn't quite catch tha … . Oh my, look what we have here." The taunting and goading from Ryoko frays her last remaining thread of constraint. Grinding her teeth, Ayeka turns and lunges in a head-on attack at the woman groping her prince. Her eyes widen and her mouth falls and gasps in shock as the might channelled into her fist simply passes straight through Ryoko's Cheshire smile. Turning her body corporeal again and with one deft hand movement from the space pirate a towel slowly drifts down to the floor, as do a few more drops of blood. Squealing in mixture of shame and disgrace, Ayeka tearfully sprints off covering herself.

" Let's begin where we left off now…" The space pirate's hand, and gaze, begin to drift down over his chest and stomach. Immediately coming back round to his senses when he detects her delicate fingers at his navel, the prince of Saiyans' mind has successfully rebooted itself.

" Here, take this drying cloth Lady Ayeka." An extended arm holds out a spare towel to the crying young woman crouched down in the shallows of a far off pool. Hesitantly she turns her head to see the source of the gruff voice. To her relief it is Vegeta and he is no longer baring all for the world to see, unlike, to her dismay, she is. Timidly she accepts the towel with some quiet words of gratitude, thankful that he has purposefully averted his eyes from both her and Ryoko - who is angrily floating in the air where moments ago she was so close to achieving her heart's desire. Dressed now in a dark crimson gi, similar in style to the ones that Goku wears except for the lack of an emblem and undershirt, he instant transmissions as soon as she takes the towel from his grasp out of the bathroom and to his place of refuge and sanctuary where the women dare not and can not tread.

Panting for breath, his mind is still racing from what happened and nearly happened due to his grave error of barging into the bathing quarters without thinking. The distant sound of a door closing followed by the whooshing noise of his son leaving to get an education like his mother wanted him to barely registers to him. His thoughts are still drifting around what he saw, what they saw and how another woman has touched him in the way only his wife had ever done before.

" … Bulma …" His mean and cold eyes start to glisten with moisture. Blinking and clearing his eyes he jabs at the control panel, snarling at how pathetic and cowardly he is behaving. The console starts to groan as it is forced into giving off its maximum capacity of five thousand times Earth's gravity onto the lone occupant. Scarcely able to hold up his own body weight he bares his teeth and growls from the overpowering strain and effort. His body is stronger than it has ever been for a Saiyan's might grows with each battle and near death experience, like the one he suffered through last night. Testing himself and the new limitations of the upgraded training room, he channels ki around and throughout his body to protect it from crushing itself. One burden though is weighing down on his heart more so than any amount of gravitational force could muster and that is the memory of his first love. The aching pain that has and will never truly leave him despite how much he wants it to.

" I … I have betrayed you." Through clenched and bared teeth he forces these words out of himself, hoping a verbal confession would ease his gut wrenching feeling of guilt and chagrin. Self-loathing and disgust builds like bile in the back of his throat at the thought of having brought dishonour unto himself and his son at such carelessness. Knowing of but only one way to purge these painful and self-destructive emotions out from his heart and detach their clinging sorrow off of his soul, a guttural growl slowly rises from his throat as his fists clamp tightly together and eyebrows furrow. Teeth grind against each other, fingernails start cutting into his palms and the air around him starts to glow with a brilliant purple hue. The jagged, purple rays burst into pure rays of gold as his muscles grow in the ascendant transformation to his strongest form. Finally, with all his heart and soul, he lets the agonised roar rip through his chest and throat. The floor and earth beneath him starts to convulse and tremble as he releases all of his heartache in a crescendo of pure power, rage and noise.

" Huh, what is going on? Ryoko is that you? Stop it." Having quickly gotten dressed -but still recovering from her severely embarrassing ordeal - the purple haired maiden looks across to Ryoko who has thankfully decided to put on some clothes.

" Does it look like I'm doing anything?" Ryoko flippantly replies whilst attaching one of her tails onto her new blue dress and pink waistcoat. " Anyway that sounds like … Vegeta!" Phasing into existence downstairs Ryoko peers through the porthole of the door leading to the training chamber and is forced to shield her face and avert her eyes from the blazing beacon of energy and the man at the centre of the conflagration he is creating.

By the time Ayeka cautiously comes down the stairs to investigate the commotion rattling the whole house her least favourite person has already gone and switched on the T.V hoping that Washu's cameras in there would offer a better view. Ayeka walks up behind Ryoko to get a better look at the screen, whilst still retaining a good clear distance away from the criminal, as Washu's observation cameras automatically adjust themselves to the great amount of blinding illumination to reveal the third form super Saiyan. Blood is flowing freely from his hands as the salty waters of his eyes trickle down his face before exploding in instantaneous evaporation making the room appear like a sauna. The roar eventually dies as even Vegeta's lungs exhaust themselves before pulling in more oxygen to continue cleansing himself of the deep cutting anguish.

" I … I don't know what to do…." As the deafening noise of his yelling stops echoing around the small metal room, faint sobs wrack his body. Having never properly grieved for his wife's passing it has finally caught up to him. Only for a finite amount of time can you run from something, eventually the inevitable can only be delayed and never denied.

" Buuulmaaaa!" Sinking to his knees, his hair shortens and darkens as he starts pounding on the adamantium tiles. The raw wounds that are his palms spray crimson onto the floor with every impact, within his clenched fist he can feel his blood boiling as soon it leaves his self inflicted wounds. Weighing close to 400 metric tonnes the immense physical pain he is subjecting himself to is nothing but a mild discomfort to the undiluted torture of losing the one most dear and precious to him. Not knowing or caring that his tormented wails are being heard, his blows continue to crack and demolish the floor; shards flying high into the air before crashing back down, a hail of metal raining down upon him and carving open his back. No amount of self-flagellation would ever make Vegeta feel better, being as accustomed to physical pain as breathing in air nothing short of fatally injuring him could cut through the warrior's impervious mind-set.

" My … my actions have soiled you, … p-please … FORGIVE ME!" As soon as it started he ends his mourning and quietly tells the console to shut down. The whirring of the machine slows and ceases whilst he stands still, staring at nothing and everything. The two women continue to gaze at the screen longingly, unsure if trying to comfort the blackened and torn heart of Vegeta would be a wise decision or just inflame the situation more. The gravity machine beeps, alerting all that it has powered down; the only sound that can be heard in that otherwise deathly silent room. Terminating the contemplation on his bereavement, Vegeta looks down at his ruined palms and the decimated tiles and closes his wet eyes. Slow deep breaths permeate the air as his chest slowly rises and falls. He vanishes.

Squatting down he rinses his hands in the now sullied waters of the lake and splashes some of the cooling water onto his face, eradicating the memory of tears from his countenance. As the ripples he has caused drift slowly across the still lagoon he stands back up with his regained frosty demeanour of callousness. Far off a sabre-toothed tiger howls as it signals to its pride, calls of the wilderness are brought to his ears by the gentle breeze stirring the serene landscape. If he so wished this whole scene could be aflame, the world no more than a pile of ashes. No more weak humans, no more women and no more Kakarot; an easy solution to the intricately complex problem called life. Not truly an easy way though for Vegeta but the coward's way out. Earth was his wife's home, his son's as well and has become his own, making himself lose his second home planet over something everyone who is alive eventually goes through is meaningless. All is without meaning to him though except for the one thing that was drilled into him from the first breath he took, and that is to fight. Fists and feet begin to fly as the ever restless warrior hones his martial art moves and techniques to perfection in the outside sun with it still continuing its ascending arc in the sky. Testing out new movements, defensive positions and guards, learning the blind spots and openings in his attacks he catches a fist from behind him and turns to face his opponent.

With her new blue dress billowing from the rapid movements, Ryoko starts to spar with Vegeta. Those same feline eyes that had been lustfully captivated by his early morning blunder now have a different emotion held within their depths. Vegeta is not the best person at reading the emotional state of someone, even with the aid of sensing their ki aura, but he can hazard a rough guess at what Ryoko is currently thinking. Her eyes are dead set in determination as she gives it her all in attacking him yet he can decipher the underlying currents of tenderness hidden in her focused pupils. She has exactly the same chance at beating him now as she did when she landed on Earth, maybe even less now that Vegeta knows her powers among other things, but for Ryoko she is not fighting to defeat him. Ryoko is doing this simply because it is the only way she can think of to reach out to him during this darkest hour she witnessed him go through. Her punches and kicks hold serious clout behind them and were Vegeta anything but close to omnipotent he would be in serious trouble. With her joining in his training session has degraded into something that has no benefit for him physically, he cannot improve himself against an opponent such as her.

Vegeta's lips crack into the smallest of smiles. A Saiyan is always happiest when brawling, the thrill of the fight is all they live for and even though her power is nothing compared to his Vegeta he is beginning to find that he is enjoying himself. Despite his speed he is not fast enough to hide his growing smile from Ryoko. Amused by these pitiful and feeble blows that are casually and effortlessly caught and blocked he begins to toy with her, seeing how close he can let her attacks get to him before he has to dodge or simply observing all the ways in which he could take her down with one blow.

" I feel like we've done this whole song and dance routine before … you had better realise that with but a fraction of my power I could kill you with one well placed finger." Trying to goad her into reckless attacks and anger at the insult of her weakness, he ducks and catches the soft fist of Ayeka. Having the ability to sense her intentions before the princess even left the front door he is still surprised by her actions. Her physical build is not that of a fighter or warrior, she has far less musculature and strength than the other woman he is sparring with yet all the same she is giving it her all. Most of Ayeka's movements are hampered by her kimono, especially her footwork and kicks, but in all honesty it matters little to the end result of her physical aggression. A single limb, his left arm, is what he challenges himself to use as his single item of defence from both Ayeka and Ryoko; handicapping himself for fun not for evening the battlefield in any way. Not before an hour is out the exertion of the fighting begins to weary the two young women, as they start to flag and tire their movements get sloppy and lose much of the strength behind their strikes.

" This all you two have got? I wonder though what could have brought this on Lady Ayeka, dirtying your hands in bare fist brawling is not something I thought Juraian princesses did? Surely you were not getting jealous from the physical intimacy of the sparring between me and Ryoko here?" Whatever opponent he faces he is always a tactical genius, right on cue this halts the women's actions as their cheeks begin to slightly colour. Not truly needing their guard to be down and with no movement at all he repulses the women back away from him a few metres. Struggling to remain on their feet and desperately trying not to end up sprawling on the floor, both of the fairer sex spring back in unison towards him to re-join the fight.

" Oh Vegey!" A small redhead calls from Vegeta's house, distracting him with that pet name his wife always called him by. With his attention focused solely on Washu, back in her adolescence, he completely forgets about the two women bearing down on him. With two impacts both equal to a train hitting him Vegeta is still frozen in place staring at the scientist. Ayeka quickly recoils her fist and starts to apologise for punching him but it falls on deaf ears as he has his target in sight and is ready to pounce. Bringing Ryoko with him as she still hasn't moved her fist from his cheek, he appears behind Washu and grabs the back of her neck. Being violently lifted up and turned to face the tenant of the house, she submissively looks into the stygian and harrowing depths of his menacing stare.

" What. Did. You. Call. Me?!" Her squirming and distress brings great sadistic joy to him whilst her feet dangle helplessly and Ryoko flinches away from him.

" W-whatever do you mean? I-I called you Vegeta … Prince of all Saiyans." Hearing her cough and splutter out these words whilst she struggles to breathe properly is enough for Vegeta. Accepting her fabricated innocence as a lousy form of an apology he slowly lowers her back down but still keeps his firm grip on her neck.

" What is it then Washu? Why did you interrupt our little bout?" Feeling a shudder run down the spine he could so easily snap, he releases her and steps back to her great relief. She stops to get her breathing back to normal before continuing with what she has to say.

" My long range scanners picked up a large craft approaching Earth. It appears to be a Juraian vessel, by my estimates it is either a first or second generation royal tree and will arrive here in …" The sudden lack of Vegeta in front of her cuts short her explanation. A slight snarl appears on Ryoko's face as in her mind this can only mean trouble; whilst Ayeka, who didn't hear what Washu had to say, is stepping towards her asking her to repeat what she just said. As soon as Washu opens her mouth to begin again darkness falls upon them as a large shadow engulfs the three women. Holding the spacecraft aloft above his head, the women's attention is drawn to the Saiyan counteracting the enormous momentum of a spaceship with sheer brute force before flying it down and landing it under his own steam. Reappearing back by the women and Sasami, who has joined them out of part curiosity and part boredom, he subtly examines the expressions of the two royals near him. The happiness on Sasami's face is clear for the world to see, but Ayeka seems ambivalent at best about this unexpected arrival.

Pressurised gas hisses as the airlocks depressurise and a large wood like panel of the ship gracefully lowers itself down to form a ramp like gangway. The interior of the expansive ship is still hidden in gloom and shadows. A large misty shade moves out of the darkness and into the Sun's rays; a slim built man with hair as black as the night tied back loosely into a long flowing ponytail. His slight fringe flutters in the breeze over his expressionless dark brown eyes and his long, flowing, pure white robe adorned with red and gold emblazoned pauldrons flaps against his legs. Raising his strong jaw, he surveys where his ship was 'escorted'.

His eyes travel over to the group of five humanoids on the other side of the lake and the crashed Juraian ship behind them. With a barking order that echoes through the tranquil scenery more obscurities rise from the depths of the ship's interior. Rushing forth out onto the grassy meadow an honour guard of similarly dressed men appear. Over five score men all armoured and armed with long halberds, spears and naginatas. The deadly shine off of the keen metal seems to illuminate the leader of the group as he marches in front of his men.

The air hisses and as the Juraian leader turns back to look at the party of women in the distance, he is instead greeted by the harrowing eyes of Vegeta. His eyes and mouth widen in shock but quickly close to show no sign of weakness to this strange man before him.

" I presume your landing was comfortable? Now before I send you back to wherever the hell you came from answer me this; what is your business on my planet?" Vegeta steps closer to the new arrival and stands up to his full height, unfortunately he is still nearly a full head shorter than who he is trying to intimidate.

" My name is Yosho Katsuhito Jurai, I come to this planet seeking my fiancée who mysteriously vanished in this sector of the galaxy. My sister's name is Ayeka, have you by any chance happened upon her?" Yosho looks down at the Saiyan then back up trying to make out if his sister is among those stood in the distance or not, the wrecked ship has no features distinguishing itself as Ryuoh but the chances of another Juraian going missing in the same area is very slim. Seeing a man appear right in the midst of the women, Yosho shakes his head in astonishment and glances back at where he thought Vegeta was still standing.

" So there was a reason that the high princess of Jurai was alone in space with no crew on her ship, no guards and no armed escort. Now I know the true colours of Juraians …" With Vegeta but mere inches away from her face, Ayeka looks puzzled at him, trying to hide her niggling doubts and suspicions about who she suspects he just talked to.

" Wh-whatever do you mean Lord Vegeta? I told you we were on our way to a political meeting between the different families of the Juraian high court, nothing more than that." His eyes pierce into her very soul. She tries to maintain his stare, knowing that turning away would be to undoubtedly prove her guilt and his accusations.

" _Different_ families of the Juraian high court, seems to me that you people seem to like keeping things in the family. Or is it just my imagination that your **brother **over there said he was **engaged** to you! … What kind of sick place is Jurai to allow such foul things? You people have no honour or pride." With that said he turns his back to her to see the entourage of Juraians slowly trudge around the lake towards him. Ryoko and Washu both look at Ayeka with a look of mingled shock and disgust.

Her smaller sister Sasami gently holds one of Ayeka's trembling hands to try and comfort her. Looking at the dirt on her shoes through a fine mist over her eyes, she thinks back to the moment she disgraced her family; when she tore away from her planet at top speed leaving behind her people, her family and Yosho. Without thinking she took her younger sibling with her, not asking whether she wanted to leave behind her friends and family and for that she regrets her decision even more. At the slightest excuse from an attack by a certain space pirate she went off in pursuit hoping to be led into a far off hive of scum and villainy where she would never be found, but that all went horribly wrong when her spaceship Ryuoh was permanently disabled. Stranded and shipwrecked here on Earth, with no means of escape, she knew that he would come for her sooner or later.

Still with her head dropped in shame, not daring to look at the people surrounding her, judging her, her brother arrives before the group. His head held high and with a small, kind smile playing across his face knowing that his bride-sister is safe and found, he calls and waves at her. Meekly raising her face, she timidly returns the gesture as does Sasami. Sweeping his eyes over the rest of the group, Yosho's eyes linger on one person in particular, sure that he remembers her, or at least that semblance, from somewhere…

"So you are the one responsible for the kidnapping of my sister. Surrender now villainous space pirate! Your days of tyranny are over Ryoko!" Pointing at the cyan haired woman with one hand whilst the other quickly moves to the sword at his belt's hilt, Yosho assumes her to be responsible for taking her sister hostage on this planet. " Men, ready your weapons. Attack!" As a single unit the Juraian guards lower their weapons and charge in a headlong sprint at Ryoko who is still surprised at being recognised – and also flattered that her far reaching infamy and reputation proceeds her even into the highest authorities of Jurai.

" Aaaaaaaaargggggghhhhh" Every single armed man collapses to the floor in a heap like marionettes with their strings severed, each one with their spears shattered, knees and arms broken like twigs and pain wracked cries bursting from their throats. A single man stands in the midst of the fallen Juraians. Bloody knuckles drip sanguine onto the trampled grass.

" That was a grave mistake Yosho. I'm afraid this planet belongs to the Saiyans and the puny Juraian empire has no jurisdiction here, so why don't you just try that again and see how far it gets you." Vegeta calmly announces whilst wiping the gore of his victims onto his same coloured loose garments and Ryoko mischievously grins at the Juraian prince knowing she is perfectly safe with Vegeta on her side.

" Surely you jest? The scourge of the galaxy known as the Saiyans were thankfully eradicated from existence decades ago. Them and the Cold empire they served are no more." Yosho scoffs back at the man who single-handedly took down his entire force in the blink of an eye, without damage nor fatiguing him in the slightest.

"You are a fool to believe that, say that all you like and it will not make it true. I am Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, and I'll tell you just this once: the Saiyan race is not dead and this planet belongs to me." Raising his hands and clenching them into a fist, Vegeta snarls in rage at the insult to his species as the immobilised bodies of the crushed guards begin to rise into the air along with other small loose objects from the ground. Alarmed by this show of power, Yosho staggers backwards away from the surging emanations from the Saiyan. Keeping his long hair out of his eyes, the only male Juraian still conscious glances across to his unmoving sister blankly staring in his direction.

" Vegeta? That name also rings a bell. If memory serves then that was the name of one of a trio of fiends who, at the very least, destroyed five of our most heavily colonised planets … leaving no survivors." Yosho stands his ground now, showing he will not be sent back with his tail between his legs. With a swish of his wrist, all of the comatose elite troopers of Jurai are hurtled by Vegeta over the head of the other prince and land in a neat pile at the foot of the ramp from which they left mere minutes before. Yosho appears unfazed by the sight of his subordinates being treated like ragdolls and keeps his eyes firmly on the face of Vegeta.

" Yes, I suppose I did do that didn't I. Ha. The punishment for that is death, is it not? Well then I should warn you that neither I, nor Ryoko, will turn ourselves in. I'm afraid it's bad luck for you, I'm resisting arrest." Walking back to the spectating Washu, Sasami, Ayeka and Ryoko, he leaves the Juraian to make his choice. Ryoko moves to the man who once again has bought her freedom to thank him in her own special way when a quiet voice comes from Yosho.

" Return with me Ayeka. I am not so blind that I don't know that you fled of your own accord because of your coming of age. You must return, don't you see? Without this marriage a civil war is inevitable. The balance of power in Jurai is an imbalanced thing at the best of times, precariously swaying on the brink of disaster, would you honestly want to plunge the whole empire into a civil war?" Yosho pleads to his sister, stepping slowly towards her with his arm outstretched. The slight trembling in Ayeka's hands slowly intensifies as her brother draws closer. Pulling out of Sasami's comforting hold she takes a small step towards her arranged fate. A sad look of resignation on her face as a single solitary tear starts to form in the corner of her eye.

" You don't have to listen to him, what he is proposing is wrong." The rough hand grasps her shoulder tightly. Flecks of red from the downed guards rub off his palms onto her robes. Without turning to face him, for she knows she cannot and still keep her composure, she solemnly shakes her head.

" But … I h-have to. I have duties and r-responsibilities I must attend to. I.. I have no right to neglect my roles as a member of the royal f-family for ch-childish and selfish reasons. As a prince yourself … you must understand, Lord V-Ve-Vegeta." Her voice is barely audible. Her words catch in her throat several times as she forces herself to say these painful words. Trying to persuade herself as much as the man she has grown to care for.

" This surely cannot be the best course of action to take Lady Ayeka. Although Saiyan's never had much want for peace, each royal family never wanted to lose the throne to another. Assassinations and murders were commonplace, but our honour never allowed us to stoop to such lows as you are about to. It is an abomination against nature." The prince of Saiyans removes his hand from her and looks at her face, awaiting a response. Her head slowly turns around. Gracefully she faces him and smiles weakly. Her single tear falling down her face. Thinking that he has finally solved a problem with his tongue and not his fists, Vegeta inaudibly growls as she turns back and continues towards her brother Yosho.

" Is this what **you** really want? Truly there is no other way?" Yosho shudders as he hears the harsh tone of Vegeta arise from behind him. Quickly turning round to face this powerhouse of destruction, he impulsively raises his arms in defence seeing the hand of his foe reaching toward him. Looking like a fool, Yosho now lowers his arms after seeing no menace in the face of Vegeta and a glistening teardrop in the palm held out towards him. The tear of his sister. Swishing his hair from side to side as he looks from the stern face of Vegeta to the gentle forlorn face of Ayeka, a coy smile unfurls on Yosho's face.

" I am the only Juraian prince from the Masaki household, it is impossible for power to be shared between different houses of Jurai. Every other house of significant power is greedier and more corrupt than the last. The only possible marriage for us two is to each other and if not then a dispute for the throne between us will surely ensue, despite our wishes for such a thing to not occur. The other families of power will jump at this chance and soon begin to make their claims, and before you know it anarchy will erupt and destroy the empire we have worked so long and hard to build and maintain. I do this not because I want to, believe me for I do not as I love Ayeka as a sister not as a woman, I do this for the consequences of not doing so are too severe. …" His brown eyes flash at his sister then at the Saiyan prince before him as he smiles wryly. "However ... there just might be another way, a way that has been overlooked by all of the delegates and members of the high court. If, … hypothetically speaking, … my sister were to marry not me but royalty that did not belong to a member of another house of Jurai, maybe not even the same species, mayhaps even a prince from a species well known for their might and power. … Someone she knows and wouldn't mind marrying …" The crystal clear insinuations in Yosho's tone causes a flutter, more akin to a swarm, of butterflies in Ayeka's stomach as she hurriedly hides her head in her hands to cover the rapidly spreading blush. Vegeta stares at Yosho's calm expression for a few seconds too shocked to do anything else in that time, nothing but stare and think about what he just said. Embarrassment soon catches up to Vegeta which he quickly turns into his favourite emotion, the one that coincidentally Ryoko is feeling at this exact same time. Anger.

" Bravo. You nearly had me there, here I was thinking you were an honourable man for a second. I have the blood of billions of innocents on my hands: women, children, the old, the frail, the weak and the defenceless – even those of your own race I have slaughtered in countless droves. You have witnessed but a miniscule taste of my power as your men fell before you. You who comes here talking of incest and somehow make it worse, you offer your innocent sister to the likes of me. Tell me, what kind of man are you? This is a matter for men of Jurai to decide, if they have any with a backbone there. Leave me, and this planet, out of it. Begone. Go find the solution to your petty problem elsewhere." Vegeta points at the Juraian spaceship, his eyes showing no hope of persuading him. Few have upset his sense of honour and pride as much as Lord Katsuhito has, those being among the likes of Goku and Frieza.

" I cannot do that, I will not leave my sister here on this planet." Yosho meets the gaze of Vegeta like two bulls locking horns.

" You will be leaving this planet and soon. You decide whether you'll be alive when you do so." The threat from Vegeta drips with the knowledge that he can easily back it up.

" No, please Vegeta! Don't kill Yosho, I beg of you please!" Ayeka pipes in, the look in her mauve eyes distracts Vegeta momentarily. She fears Yosho, fears him for the marriage that was arranged between them, and yet she would still plead for his life and safety. For her sake Vegeta reluctantly nods at her then turns back to face his foe. In the fleeting moment he just had with Ayeka, Yosho has wasted no time and taken the opportunity to draw forth his sword, or to be more precise the hilt of his sword for it bears no blade.

The intricate craftsmanship of the small weapon shows that this was a saber lovingly made not just for ceremony but for practicality. The three red, ruby like spheres embedded in the pommel glow and with a flash a smooth, long, sapphire blade of energy bursts forth from the hilt. Rushing him with a sideways feint followed by a viciously fast downward swipe, Yosho's face gapes in awe and terror simultaneously. With but one finger Vegeta holds the blade locked in position millimetres from his head. His fingertip on the point of the blade crackles as sparks of energy dance between them.

"Y-You stopped Tenchi-ken, my sword. But how?!"

" I stopped it because you are weak. Now try not to scream too much, this may sting a little." Lifting his finger slightly up and then bringing it back down with a loud fizz, bang and a crunch, Vegeta ends Yosho's attempt to resolve the issue through physical means.

The now dormant hilt drops to the floor as the Juraian prince clutches at his arm. Having judged his strength just right, Vegeta managed to minimise the damage done to him and only turn all the bones within his hands to fragments no bigger than particles of dust. Looking at the man he felled so easily with distaste, his sister worriedly runs towards him. As she frets over the damage done to her brother, Yosho gives hers a pained smile.

" Ayeka, I will respect your decision. Is this what you really want? To turn your back on your race and duties and to be stuck on this rock?" Before she answers he can tell from the look in her eyes that what she is about to say is the answer he did not want to hear.

" Dear brother Yosho I know it is cruel and selfish of me but … I don't want to marry you. I can't stand the thought of it so yes, I would prefer to stay here. At least for a little while. Just please give me some time here away from all the stress of Jurai." Accepting her rejection easily for he never had any interest in the marriage either, they embrace as brother and sister before he stands and faces the man he lost Ayeka to. The man he has caught his sister looking at again in a demure manner.

Vegeta offers his left hand to Yosho and the Juraian takes it with his still working hand. They both grip firmly in the handshake but Yosho knows not to try and push his luck with Vegeta or else he would end up without the use of either hand. A slight wet feeling causes Yosho to end the handshake and pull his hand back. He sees within his palm a small wet circle. The tear of Ayeka. Both men smile at each other in understanding. Leaning in close, Yosho begins to whisper.

" You know if you did one day marry Ayeka you would become heir to the crown of Jurai, just saying." Yosho's last ditch attempt is scowled at by Vegeta who gives a curt response.

" I have no wish for reigning over subjects as pitiful as Juraians, politics is a boring thing and I'm sure Jurai would hardly be in support of me being heir. If that is what I wanted then I would have taken the throne on my own with ease." With that Yosho heads back off to his ship and up the ramp, thankful that his men landed just on the ramp so that he wouldn't have to carry their limp bodies with one hand. As the ramp door slowly rises Yosho waves a last farewell to his sister and this time her returned gesture is no longer a meek one. He curses under his breath as he slams his fist on the button to lower the gangway again and leaps through the half open gap and strides once again back towards the group.

"By Tsunami, how could I have forgotten. Please forgive me sister, I did not mean to ignore you." The greatest swordsman from Jurai kneels before his younger sister Sasami, bowing his head apologetically. He was so caught up with the whole incident involving Ayeka that his other sister completely slipped his mind. She pats him on the head affectionately with a kind hearted smile.

"You silly billy. I might be small but you didn't have to ignore me, but do you have to leave so soon?" Yosho raises his head and smiles back at Sasami, patting her on the head also with his non-pulverised hand.

" It's probably best that I do. You know, go get my hand fixed and scold the men at their ineptitude. Before I forget, I should probably ask you Sasami about your choice."

"My choice? What do you mean, I'm too young to marry you."

"No, no tha-that's not what I meant at all. I meant whether you would like to come back to Jurai with me or not."

"Back home? Back to my mummy?" Every child yearns to be with her parents and Sasami does dearly love her mother. Yet as she looks about at the adults around her she sees one that answers the question for her. " … I don't know. I would like to see my mummy again, but if Ayeka's staying here then so am I." The elder Juraian princess stands forlornly gazing out across the lake, distancing herself away from Yosho and the painful decision she had to make.

"Sasami are you sure about this?" Such an important choice should probably not be left to that of someone so young but Yosho respects his sibling and knows she possesses some wisdom that most children her age do not. Sasami grins back at his serious expression.

"Yep, I can't leave Ayeka here. Without me then there's no one to do the cooking and she'd starve and that would be bad." This remark brings a smile to Yosho's face, his sister was always one to think of others before herself. Ayeka never excelled in any of the culinary fields, the very few times he tasted any of her cooking always proved to be a mistake and a short visit to A&E.

"You look after her then little one, goodbye for now Sasami." The Juraian prince stands after hugging her, with a wave goodbye he leaves to re-enter his spaceship. With all he set out to accomplish said and done he stands in the airlock ready to depart from Earth.

"Brother Yosho." Moments before he can close and seal the airlock door Sasami calls out to him. He watches her jog up to the side of his ship Funaho and stop just outside it.

"Yes?"

"Next time you come can you bring my mummy back with you?" She beams up at him with her radiant smile, Ryo-ohki balancing on her shoulder meowing happily in chorus with her.

"When I get back to Jurai I'll be hard pressed to stop her flying over here as soon as she knows where you are." He chuckles to himself as the door slowly rises and blocks his view of his female siblings and the man who destroyed his hand.

With the door closed and the airlock pressurised a few minutes pass before a loud groan erupts from the ship. The raucous sound eventually bursts forth into an almighty roar as the spaceship ascends vertically towards the heavens, quickly becoming just a twinkle in the blue sky. Soon the twinkle disappears and all that remains to show that another extra-terrestrial visit had occurred are the spattered blood patches, downtrodden grass and the fresh tears rolling down the princess of Jurai's face.

Feeling part of the reason why she is crying, Vegeta goes to her and after an awkward moment of hesitation hugs her, hoping that this will stop her tears. If on any other occasion this had occurred she would be blushing and madly embarrassed but now it is what she needs. A shoulder to cry on and the warmth of a man to comfort her. She doesn't care if it isn't proper or the done thing for a princess to do but she badly needs to get this out of her system; she knows that this is a just a short reprieve and next time she will not be let off the hook so easily. Tightly she grips onto Vegeta and weeps, she weeps for the potential outcome of her choice, for the predicament she has been stuck in for years and for the swift retribution she knows her father will bring down upon her. With one side of his gi soaked with the salty tears of a woman, Vegeta watches as she disengages from him and slowly starts back off towards the house without a word. Sasami runs up to her and walks with her to take over the role of comforting her sister. Unsurprised by the sound of someone phasing next to him, he also lets Ryoko hug him knowing full well that the green eyed monster would not allow her to let Ayeka get a hug and not her.

" You saved me again! You don't know how grateful I am that you stood up and protected me from him and those nasty Juraians. So grateful I am, how can I repay you?" Her mischievous smile and wink say it all.

" Some discipline for you would not go amiss." Vegeta grumbles, still not particularly comfortable with Ryoko pressing herself against him as tightly as she is.

" Oh?! Have I been misbehaving? Am I a naughty girl who needs a good spanking?" Ryoko cheekily quips. Thoroughly unamused, Vegeta just frowns and looks down at her with a steely glint in his eye then back up as she has cunningly positioned herself so when he did so he would get a nice look down her top and at her ample cleavage.

" No, I was thinking more along the lines of using you for target practice." With that she pouts, lets go of him and phases off elsewhere. He could have used that opportunity alone with her to discuss her behaviour and what occurred in the bathroom but he'd rather leave things like that unsaid. Sighing to himself, he goes to the training room to complete his endless pursuit of omnipotence. Before he closes the heavy door behind him to start his session, he hears the quiet voices of Ayeka and Sasami drifting down from upstairs, with a huff he slams the door shut.

Hours pass and Sasami is back outside with Ryo-ohki picking flowers by the lakeside, knowing not to wander off too far from the house now. Both Ayeka and Ryoko are sat down in the front room, the T.V. long since turned off for Vegeta's ability to move faster than their eyes can follow negates the point of watching. Nursing a large bottle of sake Ryoko is trying to stem off boredom as much as the princess sat opposite her is. Sitting quietly, Ayeka is left only with her thoughts and after earlier events she badly craves a distraction to take her mind off of it.

Standing up she slowly ambles her way to the shelves crowded with hardback books and randomly selects one. Just one look at the front cover and she knows it was a futile attempt. This planet does not use a written language she knows and unless Vegeta brought books with him from his spacefaring days she would be hard-pressed in finding reading material. The only other item that appears of any interest is that large metal box that Ryoko bought. Curiously, Ayeka walks up to where the machine sits in the corner and starts to examine it.

" What is it? Do you want to try out my Karaoke machine princess?" Ryoko chimes, with no slur from the copious amount of drinks she has had to be heard in her voice.

" Karaoke? I'm not familiar with that term, so what is the function of this … thing?" Ayeka turns to Ryoko who has just jumped out of her seat to land next to the princess, obviously excited about the prospect of finally getting to try out her little toy.

" The man at the shop said it plays music and shows lyrics to the song on the screen allowing you to sing along. Sounds like fun." Ryoko bends down to look at the control panel for the Karaoke machine and forcing Ayeka out of the way.

" But have you heard any Earth music? Can you read or understand the lyrics, … better yet do you know how to work that thing at all?" Ayeka goes to sit down seeing it is useless as Ryoko blankly stares at all the many buttons and dials, trying to decipher which one would turn it on.

With his hands firmly placed on the mottled green insectoid exoskeleton, Vegeta charges up ki into his hands and fires. Having always wanted a chance at Cell in his perfect form after Gohan saved his life from him, a smug sense of satisfaction rolls over him as he descends back down from super Saiyan two form and leaves the training room wiping the sweat from his face with a towel. Lowering the towel from his face and placing it over his shoulder he looks across the room at the two women who turn their heads to look at him. Seeing no need to stay there, he goes to move on out of the room to grab a bite to eat when Ryoko phases in front of him with a sad look in her eyes.

" Vegeta please help me, I'm so BORED!" Ryoko looks at him with puppy dog eyes wanting him to solve all her problems, his disinterest is clear.

" Go and entertain yourself in whatever way you see fit as long as it doesn't bother me or get in the way of my training." He steps to the side to get past her but she steps to the same side blocking his path.

" But Vegeta I can't get my Karaoke machine to work, I can't read the instructions." She points to the large black metal box with one hand as the other starts to stroke his still sweaty chest. Seeing that he would get no peace unless he gave her something to occupy herself with, Vegeta lets out a long exhalation before heading over to the Karaoke machine. Approaching it he sees that Washu must have wired it in earlier and then points to the large switch with the word 'ON' written next to it and presses it, explaining what a few of the other less complex buttons do to the space pirate. An overjoyed Ryoko pounces back by the machine and slowly starts pressing some buttons as Vegeta turns to leave the room, out of the corner of his eye he notices that Ayeka was paying close attention to what he was saying as well. If what he saw today was a glimpse at what life of a royal is truly like then he is glad that Frieza denied that from him with his iron fist.

Before he can take more than four steps a blaring power chord of a guitar is boomed out followed by some brutal and fast galloping riffs. Proving to be just her cup of tea, Ryoko whoops and starts messing with the volume dial and other random dials and knobs. The strong bass of the song starts shaking the floor and in a flurry Ayeka hurries from the room, complaining about her absolute distaste in whatever genre of music that is. Wanting just a bit of peace and quiet, Vegeta once again goes to Ryoko to tell her to turn it down but she misinterprets his approach and springs up with a microphone in her hand holding it out to him.

With happy and hopeful eyes she beams at him. He looks down at the microphone then back at Ryoko before just turning around and walking out of the room leaving Ryoko on her own. Looking upset and disappointed with her hopes downtrodden, the space pirate goes to turn off the machine and eventually after several failed attempts locates the correct button and powers down the machine.

Finally making his way to the kitchen and with the goal of the fridge in his sight, Vegeta stops when he sees the empty stare of Ayeka as she absently looks out of the kitchen window. Feeling the Saiyan pull towards food he then continues to the fridge and empties it of most of its contents before closing the door to look back at Ayeka who is now looking at him with the same pained expression of sadness she had when he comforted her.

" I had a brother once. Tarble was his name, he was a pathetic, skinny runt and no good at fighting. Of course he died along with the rest of my race when Frieza blew up my planet so I'm not the best person for giving advice on family issues. I don't presume to know about your species' culture, but you are a woman of royal blood. Just because others can't get along is no excuse for you to be forced to stoop that low. It's a matter of pride." In between mouthfuls Vegeta says this to her, knowing it isn't the best thing to say, it isn't what she needs to hear but it's the only thing he could say. She weakly smiles at him as he continues gorging himself and walks over to Sasami who is also in the kitchen and busy setting about the final preparations for dinner and glancing disapprovingly at Vegeta scoffing his face right before her meal. Vegeta continues to stay in the kitchen, waiting patiently for more food to become available for him to consume and is sat down at his place at the head of the table the moment that the table has been set and dinner served.

With Ryoko on one side of him and Ayeka on the other, Vegeta digs greedily into the food that Sasami has cooked for them today and with a flicker a seventh place at the table suddenly is set. A weary Washu slowly emerges from her lab rubbing her eyes, drawn by the scent of sustenance when the front door crashes open and two young super Saiyans fly past her.

" Ah! What are you trying to do, give me a myocardial infarction?!" She shouts at the two Aryan lads catching their breath and sitting down next to Sasami.

" No fair Trunks, you cheated! You set off before I said go." Goten complains to his best friend, completely oblivious to the irate Washu entering the kitchen and taking her place at the table whilst shooting evils at them. The women have learned by now to grab what food they can quickly while it lasts as Saiyans don't mess around when it comes to filling their stomachs.

" Itsh not my phfault hat your too shlow." Talking with his mouth full, Trunks' silences the loser of their race home before chowing down again. All of Sasami's care and effort she put into making her food appear neat and presentable are ignored as plate after plate are devoured by the ever hungry Saiyans. Letting out a little sigh of resignation, Sasami looks at the two half-pints eagerly wolfing down what she toiled over a hot stove for. Giving up there being any chance of being thanked or at the very least acknowledged for her culinary skills she listlessly sets her cutlery on her cleared plate to begin clearing away.

" Uh it's Sasami, right? Why don't I take that for you? After all you did cook us such a yummy meal, much better than mum. … Wait, please don't tell her I said that!" Goten stands up taking Sasami's plate from her hands and stacking it on top of his own before depositing it in the sink. A girlish and tender smile graces Sasami's faces as she watches the two boys hurry off down the hallway.

" Trunks! If you are going to play at least go and do it in the training room. You can show Goten the new capabilities of it." After barking to the two trouble makers he continues feasting on the scraps and leftovers.

" So Vegeta, it was Bulma's family who invented this capsule technology? It is quite admirable work, a bit shoddy in a few places – well compared to what I could have done at least. You don't keep any of the schematics and blueprints that were used around here do you?" Not batting an eyelid at the mention of his lost love, Vegeta still carves his way through the last virgin dish on the table before relaxing back in his chair and shaking his head.

" Fair do's, I like a challenge anyhow so be seeing you later, got to get cracking on this." With suspicion in his eyes Vegeta tracks Washu as she disappears off, distrustful of what she does in her little hidey hole. A slight tap on his bicep draws his attention.

" I – I knew or suspected that you had probably been responsible for … wiping out Juraian colonies. Quite a few of them to be honest. But – but I know that you were a different person back then. You were a soldier following orders and doing your job, you had no personal agenda or vendetta against my people. Following the statue of limitations for the Juraian empire, technically those crimes were committed by a different person for who was responsible was killed on Namek and it is an ancient rule that any previous sin of a person is washed away should Tsunami, in her wisdom, bring someone back from the dead. … What I'm trying to say is … is I forgive you. You helped me a lot today, d-despite ... despite what happened in the morning. I am most grateful for what you did for me, concerning Yosho. So please, … have this Yakitori from my plate as a show of goodwill." The humble modesty of Ayeka astounds Vegeta. The offer of food is tempting as ever, but it was the other commodity she offered him that he is reluctant to take. Forgiveness. Never has he been forgiven for his past actions. Never has he asked for it and never has he deserved to be forgiven. The honesty and purity in her eyes causes a great conflict within him. He cannot accept what isn't rightfully his, he dare not pass up on something he probably will never receive again and he really, really wants the food.

" Why would you want _her_ food when you can have mine? Look oo an ake it right out o' my mouf." Leaning close to him, the woman on the other side of him has what appears to be most of a Tonkatsu being offered to him from her lips. Beseeching eyes looking at him, imploring and pleading from both directions and the heady aroma of the foods teases his nostrils. He takes an escape route. The table clears, the dishes and utensils are cleaned and put neatly away in a flash but most of all the both women are left looking at each other as the man who was in-between them is now sat outside contently munching on the gifted morsels of food.

Licking his lips, he catapults himself to the brim of the lake landing on his left hand. The tendons and muscles in his arm grow taught then relax as he rises and descends, counting each push up in his head silently, the repetition lulls and soothes him. From his upside-down view of the world the unmistakable sight of the women appearing from his house so soon pauses his extended arm.

Coiling like a python, he releases the built up tension in his arm to pitch himself many lofty metres into the afternoon sky. Gyrating and somersaulting his body like a drill, a flash of brilliant purple jets out towards the house. Blazing past the side of Ryoko on the rooftop the blast continues to rip across the sky for two miles before it hits its designated target. The pterosaur died before it knew it was being attacked as nothing but its ashes and embers drift down on the wind. Thumping back into the turf on his right hand at the precise moment when the sound from the far off slaying of the winged reptile reaches the shores of the lake he continues exercising.

Panicked, Ryoko quickly calms down after seeing a bolt of energy searing towards and past her. She gently bites her lip. 'He must have done it.' She thinks to herself. For only the briefest of instants she felt him brushing against her lips. It felt more like the gentle touch of a feather than what her hopes and dreams vividly imagine what he did. Fawningly she stays at her post on top of the house with her head held in her hands, a rosy colour to her cheeks and just sits there watching him, imagining the kiss they shared. Vegeta actually just grabbed it with his hand unbeknown to her.

The Sun continues its fiery path across the sky and disappears behind the soaring peaks, plunging Vegeta into gloom. Goten left hours ago for he knows his mum would disapprove of him flying home in the dark. From the roof Ryoko watches with her cat like eyes beginning to glisten and reflect light in weird hues. In the comfort of the warm house Ayeka is sat down by the window also following his every move. A chill night wind ruffles Ryoko's spiky hair into her face, obscuring her view of the perpetual quester for enhancement. Shaking her head to bring back the sight of him as the stoic man eases himself back onto his feet, strolling back towards his hearth and home.

Following the well worn down dirt path that leads back from the lake to his doorstep, Vegeta glances back to the slates on his roof then the doorway as he accurately predicts and tracks Ryoko's phasing. With a burst of unseeable haste he beats Ryoko to her destination even though she was halfway through teleporting. Ayeka comes round into the hallway and happily smiles in greeting at Vegeta, with Ryoko looking dumbfounded as to how he got behind her. Ryoko fades into existence in front of him and next to Ayeka, a swift glare is exchanged between the two women.

" Has that mad scientist woman come out of her lab yet? I have need of her and would not like to catch her skulking around my house, tampering with things better left undisturbed." The quick shake of both women's heads is all he needs to know, although he didn't really need Ryoko's input saying she wasn't even in the house to keep an eye on Washu. Passing the women he turns the doorknob that leads down the rabbit hole and to the world of Washu, entering it alone. The large white entrance hall is deserted, Washu is not on her flying cushion and Vegeta has no time to search her whole warren of corridors and rooms. Placing two fingers on his temple he concentrates on the only other ki signature in this dimension.

" I presume this place has the ability to manufacture goods?" Washu jumps out of her skin when the deep, monotone voice of Vegeta echoes from directly behind her.

" GAH! Stop doing that! Of course my lab can make things, why do you ask?" Tidying up her notes and dismissing her shadowy laptop, she turns and looks at him in a very displeased mood at this surprise.

" We may have need of your services and equipment soon. A far off and distant power has been sensed by me and probably the other fighters of this planet. It might be just a new life form but it is already outmatching Dr. Gero's androids in term of sheer power and it has the same feel to it as Majin Buu did. Make me more Saiyan battle armour."

" A new foe? Well I suppose it's nothing to worry about, sure I can make that armour of mi - yours. Hell I could even improve its durability and resistance several times over without even trying." Satisfied by Washu's response and willingness to help his preparation for the coming storm, he leaves her to whatever she was doing before he interrupted her.

Leaving her dimension he is not at all surprised to see both Ryoko and Ayeka still stood by the door where he left them. As they step towards him their elbows nudge each other. Sparks fly as they lock eyes and horns with each other. Wondering why it had to be him, Vegeta watches as the two women wrestle against each other, pulling each others cheeks and hair and slapping each other. Their faces warped in hatred.

" Look you two, if you are so keen on fighting you had better learn to fight a lot better than that and quickly." His words ring on deaf ears as they continue to struggle against each other. Wafting his hand the gust generated knocks them off of their feet and ends the fight before the nails and claws come out. As they look at him from the floor, he walks the short distance to the training room.

" I have no need of your petty squabbles, see you tomorrow."


	6. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 6: Day 6

Chapter 6

All muscles have a breaking point. Use them too much and you will seriously damage yourself, there is a fine line between exercising them to perfection and torturing your own body. Vegeta sees that line and ignores it, haphazardly crossing it every day. Training into the early hours of the morning and waking up only a few hours later his body is screaming at him. Compared to some training sessions that was hardly anything and the all encompassing pain he feels is negligible to him.

Stretching his arms to warm his body up before another arduous day of training and spreading ki throughout his body to counteract all the cramps, pain and muscle fatigue, he lumbers down the stairs. Halfway down the stairs something ruffles his rigid hair and he looks up to confirm the sensed ki signature with his suspicions.

An arm dangling from one of the support beams. An arm attached to a peacefully napping Ryoko wearing a vivid red dress and black sash around her waist, complementing her figure superbly. Her faint breathing permeates the air as her elfin ears twitch and move in the throes of a dream. Curious about her unusual sleeping habits, Vegeta pulls himself up onto the beam by her feet; observing her rapid eye movement under closed lids, her fingers curling and uncurling and inaudible moans and words escaping from her mouth.

" Uhh …mmm ... V-Ve –" Clearing his throat he silences her mumbling. Violently she rolls to one side and wakes with a start landing in Vegeta's arms.

" Pleasant dream?" Still startled from the shock of falling, Ryoko drowsily opens her eyes to find herself in the macho arms of who she was just fantasising about. Yawning, she closes her eyes again and relaxes with Vegeta looking down at her.

" Come and join me napping if you like, I'm sure we can find enough room up there for the both of us … if not we could always go to your bed."

" I have no time for such laziness. If you want to waste all your time sleeping and throwing away your potential as a space pirate that's fine by me." With that he gently as he can throws her into the air and out of his arms before continuing to the training room. A loud disappointed sigh from the floating Ryoko goes unheeded.

Sipping a nice steaming mug of herbal tea on the sofa, Ayeka looks and smiles at her prince … who completely ignores her keeping his focus solely on his destination. As soon as the thick metal slab slides back on its hinges and the reverberating sound of its lock rings through the living room Ayeka nearly spills her hot beverage in the process of grabbing the TV remote.

Ever since he rescued her from her fate of tying the knot with her own brother she can't stop thinking about the Saiyan prince, Yosho's words echoing throughout her mind of his alternate proposal. Maybe it was because of her father's overprotectiveness and her sheltered upbringing, but simply being around this man is messing with her feelings. Such a brute should never arouse emotions like the ones currently in her heart. Truth be told she isn't so certain about what she actually feels towards him, this being the first time she has held affection for someone outside of her own family how can she tell if it is the real thing or not. All she knows is that no-one must find out about his aspect visiting her dreams in a way no other man, fictional or real, ever has before.

" Why so eager princess? Do you enjoy peeping on him that much?" Masking the sound of her teleportation by that of the TV, Ryoko is now sat next to Ayeka with an eyebrow raised at her insinuatingly.

" I have no idea what you are talking about, I have no interest whatsoever in … peeping." Giving the cold shoulder to Ryoko both women turn to watch as best they can what Vegeta is doing on the display.

A gargantuan, red haired, green orcish beast with a long jagged scar down his barrel-like chest and a monstrously tall, bulky Saiyan with green tinted hair spawn into existence. Bojack and Broly. Deciding only to go to the first form of super Saiyan, Vegeta stands dwarfed before them. Today on the agenda for Vegeta is practising and learning the secret techniques that he has witnessed other fighters perform so he can add them to his wide arsenal at his disposal. Once he begins, his sadism takes over.

An hour or so passes as do many of the incarnated sprites of his training dummies, each felled by a unique attack. One decapitated by a destructo-disk, two bodies lay with a large hole drilled straight through them by a special beam cannon, another beaten into a mushy pulp on the floor after Vegeta finally mastered the Kaioken – the same technique he has long since hated for the part it played in his downfall from being the strongest Saiyan. Many annihilated antagonists lay still before him, the bodies beginning to pile up and the floor slick with blood and other fluids seeping from the mangled corpses.

" Solar flare!" Both women and hulking opponents eyes are overloaded by a brilliant pure white light emanating from the already glowing super Saiyan. Bringing his spread fingers back down from his forehead and raising them like claws, he nimbly sprints towards both dazed opponents clutching at their eyes.

" Wolf fang fist!" A ghostly apparition of a savage black wolf with red eyes lit with the very fires of hell overlays itself onto the howling Saiyan as a hundred hammering blows ravage Bojack in an instant. All his bones and vital organs pulverised in the instant death takes him. Broly blinks away the dazzling light and through his burnt retinas takes his last sight: Vegeta mid leap with a rabid glare in his eyes with his hands forming the gaping jaws of deliverance.

Landing crouched, Vegeta stands up with a displeased look of distaste at the ease of what he has done. To the women less than a second has passed and after their vision has cleared enough to look back at the screen Vegeta has turned up the gravity in the training room and is doing bench presses, next to two fresh corpses. One so badly disfigured and bloody that it is no longer recognisable as humanoid – never mind Bojack - and Broly collapsing to his knees. Cold and quickly numbing fingers weakly grasp at the human sized hole through his massive bulk before finally giving up the ghost and fading away into nonexistence with the rest of Vegeta's little mess.

The tedium of Vegeta's seemingly infinite capacity for exercise eventually dissuades the women from continuing to watch him, despite his skin tight Saiyan jumpsuit clinging to his body from perspiration and highlighting the curvature of his heightened musculature. What Vegeta also fails to notice is that, with that being his preferred item of clothing, it doesn't leave much to the imagination of the women in his house – styling a Linford Christie lunch box.

Ryoko hovers back to the wooden beam she has claimed and takes another cat nap, leaving Ayeka milling around the house with nothing to do. Wandering around the house aimlessly, the purple haired highborn of Jurai finds company in the lavender haired child of Vegeta. Trunks is gnawing on one end of a stubby pencil and looking stumped at the worksheet before him, although gifted with the intelligence of his mother he just can't work out the answer to this question. Seeing the look of confusion on his face, Ayeka tries to be a good Samaritan and offers to help the struggling lad with his schoolwork.

" You'll help me? Great! Although I would prefer it if it were Washu helping, she's a lot smarter than you are …" Trying furiously to stifle her anger at the insult, Ayeka continues to smile at Trunks, although it is now forced.

" Here take a look, oh wait you can't read sorry. I guess I'll read it to you then: In the year 461 what was the mythical Piccolo war and how was it stopped?" The smile fades from Ayeka's face. A history question, she might recognise the name Piccolo but apart from that the few days she has spent on this planet are hardly enough for her to be able to answer that question.

" I-I'm sure your father will know the answer to it, you just keep on working hard." With that she leaves the child to his questions with a slight twitch in her eye at the insolence of him, dead sure he did that on purpose to irk her.

Sparks fly and throw shadows across the dimly lit room, illuminating the dark tiled recess of the lab. A bright blue flame lowers and superheats a small metal wire, welding it in place. Giggling at her ingenuity, Washu mans the controls of the robotic arms and manoeuvres them as delicately as a surgeon performing an operation as her little toy she is making begins to take shape.

" Lunch is ready!" The chirpy voice of the gastronomic genius damsel draws forth the training Saiyan. Calmly walking into the kitchen in the same state that he left the training room, he takes his seat. A small puddle of sweat pools around him on the floor mixed with a few bright drops of a sanguine fluid. As Ayeka wanders to the call of her sister she gasps when she sees Vegeta and hurries to his side.

" Oh Vegeta, you're hurt. You can't just sit here looking like that." He slowly turns his head so he can see her out of his good eye, for one is now badly bleeding and closed behind layers of coagulated blood. Trickles of crimson are all over his body, dark gore spattered all over his clothing and deep gashes rake his back and arms. Not one part of him is without injury or damage.

" Tis but a scratch." With that he reaches across the table to grab some of the delectable sandwiches piled up on one of the plates. Sasami gapes in horror as his dirty hands contaminate her food, then she nearly faints as his still bleeding arm drips onto all nearby dishes.

" A scratch? You look as though you are on death's door itself, please get those wounds treated I wouldn't want you to get a nasty infection."

" I've had worse." Continuing to stuff his face, he hardly seems to care or notice when Ryoko's head pops through the table then disappears, reappearing fully on the other side of Vegeta.

" See, this is what happens when you reject my offer. Would you like me to kiss it better?" With Ryoko's tantalising and sensual lips rapidly approaching him and disturbing him from his food his image flickers and in one hand he holds a small green bean. He eats this senzu bean to quiet the women down, not for his own wellbeing, and scoops up the last few snacks on the table. Ryoko's lips however are still encroaching on him as he forgets that the speed of his actions means that both women's brains haven't processed that he is once again in peak physical condition with all injuries gone.

He stands in the doorway with his gloved hands on his hips, Sasami who was about to clean up skips past him when she sees that once more Vegeta has tidied away and washed up in the bat of an eye.

" Ryoko, Ayeka. Outside, now." The faint afterimage of Vegeta dissipates. Mystified by this most unusual of requests, the two ladies look at each with puzzled expressions, their minds still adapting to living with this hypersonic presence known as Vegeta. The intentions of Ryoko to get to this meeting before her are all too predictable for the highly educated princess. In the nanosecond that the air around Ryoko starts to vibrate, her dainty hand lashes out and grabs her wrist forcing Ryoko to teleport her as well. If only she had known what she had gotten herself into.

Re-entering existence only fifteen metres from where they departed, Ayeka tears her hand away from Ryoko and clutches at her heaving stomach. First time teleporting is always nasty business and takes a while of getting used to. Nearly doubling over in pain and swallowing down the bile that had risen in her throat, Ayeka looks weakly back up.

Having left Ayeka to sort herself out, Ryoko is by Vegeta, 50 feet up in the air above the lake, both looking down at her. Slowly lifting from the ground and traversing through the air she joins them. Surveying the two femme fatales; the pale face of the still queasy Juraian blue-blood and the devilish smile of the expectant galactic buccaneer, he begins.

" I've gathered you here for a certain reason, there has been something niggling at me since I woke up. I thought about keeping it to myself but, no … I will declare it now …" His face as dark and cut off from emotion as always he pauses for a second, summoning courage for what he is about to say. Both levitating women have perked up immensely at these words with their faces shining in optimism at the prospect of their deepest desire being granted.

" … I … I-I want, I would like …" Stammering under the immensity of what he is about to say both women fly and lean closer to him, daring not to breathe lest it will spoil this most precious of moments. " … Teach me. I need to know your techniques, both of you are women of power – mere insects to me – but powerful in your own way. Help me train." With their hopes crushed and dreams dashed to the four winds, the two devastated women hide their great and utter disappointment in his request.

" I'm not asking for any charity, you teach me your special skill and I will teach you one of mine. Ayeka, you have demonstrated the feat of being able to channel a huge proportion of your energy into forming a barrier of either protection or containment – that is what I would like to learn from you. Ryoko, you have the ability to make your physical body non-corporeal this I would find to be most useful." Still with blank, despondent and mournful eyes looking at him he elects to spark a little life back in them. The torn and battered soles of his bloodied boots land back on the shoreline.

" What say you? Who wants to go first?" Right on cue the announcement brings the women to their normal selves. The rivalry between those two women foreshadows that even of Vegeta's to Goku and trouble begins to brew. Toying with them is such an easy thing, God how he wishes Bulma was that easy to manipulate. The simple pleasures of life pass him by but a good cat fight between those two never ceases to amuse him. Like a fledgling sparrow versus a hawk, Ayeka loses any advantage over Ryoko she had in the aerial combat and is swept aside. Shoved away with her concentration broken, the deep water looms welcoming her.

Cancelling out gravity as her luxurious ponytails dip into the water, a wave of disturbed water splashes over her. Drenched to the bone, the pits of hell and damnation themselves look more welcoming than the furious wrath awoken within the aristocrat. Giddy on behalf of her little victory over the snobby princess, Ryoko skims across the water, splashing water high in her wake.

" Me first, me first. Me!" Slamming into Vegeta she swings around his neck to hug him from behind, delight and jubilance sparkling from her ravishing eyes. Snuggling and nuzzling his face with hers, a cold shiver shoots down Vegeta's spine. Drifting his eyes from Ryoko to the soaked and dripping princess' stabbing stare of malice seething with both freezing, unpitying hate and the roaring emerald flames of envy. Averting his eyes from her in her disgraced sodden state, he concedes and nods at Ryoko, replying with a squeal of unbridled joy and the warmth of her bosom squishing between his broad shoulders.

" Very well then Ryoko, what would you like in exchange for this knowledge?" Regretting his poor choice of words as soon as they leave his mouth, a suggestive smirk takes over Ryoko's face.

" Oh I'm sure I can think of a little something you could do to - I mean for me."

" Ryoko, what you are thinking about are techniques and skills that have nothing to do with the field of battle. It's out of the question, I will certainly not demonstrate them to you. Come now, you already can fly, teleport and shoot basic bolts of energy I'm sure you can think of something that the feared Ryoko could use to spread her infamy across the universe." Let down by his mind being set against showing her his other kind of prowess her mind scans the past few days she has spent in his company, trying to pinpoint the one thing she could use against him.

" Ok, how about that thing where you can always tell whether I'm near you or not."

" The ability to sense power levels and ki signatures? Fine, so be it. Begin, show me this skill of yours." Reluctantly, Ryoko slowly lets go of Vegeta and manoeuvres herself so she that she is stood in front of him. Having taught herself this a long time ago it's not that difficult for her to explain the complexities of this technique and the way in which you have to flow the ki through your body. She demonstrates to him phasing through part of his house and then it is time for Vegeta to try and master it.

Raising his left hand he gradually edges it closer and closer towards the wall of his house, channelling energy into his palm, fingers and wrist, he edges his hand towards his house. CLUNK. The tattered rags of his filthy glove impacts the floor. Looking from his hand to the glove and back at his hand, he groans at the obvious intentions of Ryoko.

" I don't recall your clothes falling off every time you fly through a wall. It's as though you taught me the wrong way so that mine would. … Now tell me the right way or else I'll show you how my fist goes through your guts." Her wicked smile timidly fades away, thwarted yet again this time she teaches him the proper way to phase through solid objects so that undressing isn't a prerequisite. As he sinks through the terrain and bobs up again the proud instructor applauds her first pupil.

" You've upheld your end of the bargain and I shall do the same and train you in the ways of detecting the life force of others." They stand close to each other, less than a foot apart. His eyes never leave her face. Witnessing all this from not to far away, Ayeka continues to glower, the blazing inferno of scorn having long since dried her off. They might not notice her but she sees them. One of these days, she thinks to herself, I will have my rightful place at his side. However, all she can do at the minute is project nasty thoughts at the she-demon and watch her tail wag like an excitable puppy.

" Are you ready? Or is that temper of yours getting the better of you again?" Her slight perturbance by his sudden proximity to her is overshadowed by the grudge she is still holding on to. The musky and tangy odour of the man behind her mixes with the fair and aromatic smell of what perfume was not washed off her. With predatory precision she keeps an eye on her nemesis whilst the voluptuous rogue lifts off to bask in the glorious midday Sun on the sloping roof. Not lightening her mood in the slightest, she curtly turns and nods at Vegeta, raising a shimmering cerulean sphere around herself. Her arms raised before her, the near transparent globe wavers and continually flickers.

" Honestly, I expected more from you. Is this truly all the power of Ayeka the princess of Jurai? Now Ryoko on the other hand …" Her glare intensifies under his derision and jeering, if he were but a mere mortal this gorgon-like gaze would have petrified him and crumbled all other men to dust. The energy shield glows azure and starts to crackle into power, bolts shoot out from it, the princess can hardly be made out through this encapsulating barrier. Vegeta steps through the shield, it bursts like a bubble as twinkling shards of the brightest blue fizzle down.

" I actually felt a slight tingle walking through that, I congratulate you on your fine efforts but please, stop with all this nonsense now. Goading your anger seems to be the only reliable way to get you to do anything." Her flames of emotion die down to embers, always there and ready to be stoked back to life at any given time, seeing that he didn't mean those mean words she softens. Staying mad towards Vegeta is not something she would ever be capable of, him stood there so close to him yet his heart so distant and far. Lowering her arms and hugging them close to herself, the tedious task of explaining how it is done starts.

Taking mental notes he easily takes in all the relevant information and permanently locks it deep within his brain. Nothing as radical as cancelling out the physical properties of his body, he feels confident in experimenting to see whether he can form a defensive shield around himself. The air hisses and crackles with static discharge from the building energy. The energy starts to solidify in patches then rips itself apart. Frowning, Vegeta tries again and with a blinding flash a dark violet hemisphere forms above his raven hair as it slowly descends and the base seals to the ground scorching the grass.

" Two tries? It took me that many years to make even the most basic rudimentary barrier. A most remarkable achievement my prince, I am so proud of you." The pride is showing on his face, two techniques in nearly that many minutes, a bold grin of confidence. Lowering his hands the shield remains stabilised and continues humming. With a violent swish of his hand the shield coalesces into a ball and is jettisoned off over the horizon.

" I thank you Ayeka for those kind words, now to the matter of your payment – what's it going to be?" A second sun appears and disappears in the far off distance shining light on the jovial smile of Ayeka.

" You've already done so much for me and my sister I would hate to impose. If it's not too much of a bother I would enjoy a few more lessons on flying Lord Vegeta." Her radiant beauty and peaceful soul soothe Vegeta who nods at her, smiling in agreement. Before the two can take to the skies the scientific virtuoso Washu runs out of the house with something hidden in her hands. Stopping in front of Vegeta, she opens her hands revealing her device she has secretly been working on.

So many old memories are brought back to the warrior. The times he spent with his other Saiyan comrades obliterating all in his path: killing, burning, annihilating, exterminating and enjoying every minute of it. A reminder of his days before Earth, before humility. He takes the offered device and clips the small eyepiece onto his ear. The red glass covering his left eye begins to flicker numbers on its heads-up-display as it turns itself on. Clicking the small button on the top of the main body of the scouter its sensors begin to locate the two women stood in front of him and analyse them.

" The greatest genius in the universe has a power level of … 9, as to be expected. The might of the daughter of Jurai is 263 … Ryoko!" Ayeka seems quite pleased with a triple digit score, that is until the intergalactic brigand appears stood next to her and hears her power level. " … Ryoko your power level is 378…" Seeing the relic from the days of her servitude to the tyrant Frieza does not bring as many good memories as it does for the elite class fighter. The embers in Ayeka are stirred by the bellows of Ryoko's higher score. " … and Ayeka's has jumped up to a new high of 332." .

With the arguing between the women reaching inevitability, a fuzz ball of cute, brown fur hops into sight followed by the smaller princess of Jurai chasing after the scampering critter. For the hell of it he scans both of them, Sasami getting a good 42 and Ryo-ohki getting …

" 1,500. Ryo-ohki has a power level of 1,500. Raditz would die again if he saw this, oh this is priceless, ha-ha." The women stare at the cabbit in alarm as Vegeta chuckles to himself at this turn of events, chucking the scouter back to Washu.

" Over 1,000! There's no way that's right, such a small animal can't have more power than me. Washu obviously must have built that thing wrong." Ayeka cannot and will not accept this. The owner of the spaceship picks her up and coos at her little pet, both purring contently. With the adversaries in the field of love distracted, Washu equips the scouter whilst Vegeta flies out over the lake. With great anticipation Washu clicks the one and only button on her old invention she has radically improved, its capabilities enhanced so maybe it could give an accurate reading on Vegeta. Her jaw drops.

" 54." The surprise on Ayeka and Ryoko's faces is all too plain to see as Washu continues to click the button to see if it would yield a more likely number.

" So 54 is as low as I can possibly go, first time on Earth was when disguising or suppressing power levels was first brought to my attention. It proved most valuable on Namek, now bear witness to what a true Saiyan is capable of." A strong gust of wind blows and encircles him before blasting outwards. His body begins to glow faintly as he calmly looks down at the women. The numbers on Washu's scouter suddenly change.

" 7-70,000?! Wait no it's still rising, 150,000 … 300,000. I-it's going too fast I can't read it!" As his power exponential increases and grows the lake beneath him starts to form a concave shape, like Moses all the water is being repelled from his proximity. The wind dies down and the lake calms itself, a faint splash can be heard as a pebble falls into the lake.

" 6,500,000. Th-that's not possible! Even stars don't output that much power -" Washu and the women gape at this incredulous figure and a smirk plays across Vegeta's face for in one fell swoop he erupts in gold. Blonde locks flowing past his waist, Neanderthal like thickset brow and heavenly aura, he awaits a final verdict of his power.

" 11 digits … his power level has 11 digits. 19,680,008,002. Not- n-n-not possible, can't be …" Tripping over her own tongue in disbelief at the raw power shown before her, Washu falls to her knees with the scouter bleeping rapidly still, her mind reeling at this most inexplicable data she has gathered. Dropping back down to his everyday life level of power and the green Earth he strides past the astonished women. With a puff of smoke the scouter detonates itself, all its core wiring fried, its insides blackened and Washu's ear thankfully unhurt.

" W-wait! Prince Vegeta! Have you forgotten your promise, you still haven't given me more flying lessons." Snapping out of her daze just before he disappears into his house and leaves her, he disappears and is stood back in front of the women again with Washu slowly picking herself up off of the dirty floor.

" What do you need me for? You know how to fly, all you have to do now is to practise and practise with someone closer to your ability level." His eyes drift from the princess in light blue robes to the reprobate in the tight red dress. Ryoko looks back into the dreamy eyes of Vegeta then follows his eyes back to the other woman.

" NO!" Both Ryoko and Ayeka exclaim in perfect synchronisation, turning to face away from each other and folding their arms in stubbornness.

" Why should I do it? It's not like I need any practise at flying, I've been doing it for years." Ryoko moves her hands to her hips whilst protesting against Vegeta's decision.

" Is that what you think? Tell me, out of all those times you have flown how many times have you landed or navigated without the aid of teleportation or phasing? Simply put you can fly, but fly like a wren when you could be a falcon with just some effort and motivation from you. This is not a request, you have no choice in the matter, either do it or next time Jurai calls round you won't be so lucky. Got it?" There is no negotiation to be had. Accepting their fate but not liking it in the slightest, the two grumble as they lift off and begin to put some distance between them and the ground.

" No misbehaving Ryoko!" Vegeta shouts at her, her toothy grin shrinks for he knows her all too well. Itching from a physical need to train, Vegeta walks up to Washu on his way to soothe his craving.

" How long do you predict it will be until they start to fi – GOD DAMMIT!" With the words still leaving his mouth, he sees the two women tumbling out of the sky, firmly locked in battle with one another. He can't take his eyes off of them for a second and not for the reasons that the women would want. Ayeka truly should have learnt that she stands no chance in the air against Ryoko but credit to her for trying and her determination. Sighing to himself as they swan dive towards the jagged cliff face they had flown towards, he traverses the mile or so in nanoseconds, leaving behind a smiling Washu dashing off back to her lab with hairs she has just plucked from his scalp.

Grappling and tumbling on their way to the unyielding ground, oblivious to all except for the bane of their lives, a shadow falls from the sky. All their downwards momentum ceases as they are held in the air from the scruff of their necks by a very annoyed and growling Saiyan. Not even with Vegeta in the picture do they forget their feud against the other and struggle and writhe to set themselves loose and unleash their animosity in violence. Their feeble efforts mean nothing to him as he outstretches his arms so that they can no longer reach each other and he slowly descends flying downwards.

He doesn't take them back to the house instead he decides to cool them off, he finds that a cold shower is a good way to purge unwanted emotions so off to the lake he flies. Only as their shoes begin to take in the chilly waters of the lake do they see the predicament they are in as he pays no attention to what they say. They plead and beg for him to release them as he rotates his body so it lies horizontal, not wanting to take an early bath himself and commences the dunking.

Gasping for breath and with Ayeka's wet fringe plastered to her forehead and Ryoko's spiky hair flattened by the weight of the water he lets go of the two water-logged vixens. Dripping wet for the second time today Ayeka is not pleased, not in the slightest bit. Steam explodes from both of them as the water boils straight off of their energy charged bodies.

" What did I tell you? You damn fools, now stop acting like bitches in heat. Act up again and I will hold you down there until I am thoroughly sure you will cause no more trouble again. You should be thankful I am so merciful or else I would have blasted you to smithereens days ago. Off with you!" Zooming off he leaves the two quarrellers. Exchanging the briefest of glances they fly off into the skies with not so much as a word between the two.

The well worn down and smoothed floorboards of his house greet Vegeta with a squeak as his footsteps echo through the hall and into the living room. Lounged across the sofa with a sleeping Ryo-ohki dozing in the parting between her two side ponytails is Sasami. Her pink eyes staring into space with the sure signs of ennui don't even register the new person in the room until he stands towering over her.

" You seem a little down in the dumps, you didn't have much say in the matter of staying here yesterday so … how are you settling in?" Adopting the manner of the courteous host he thinks of himself as, she blinks clearing her eyes before sitting up properly. Poor Ryo-ohki has to think fast and lands on all four feet after losing her sleeping post when Sasami moved and darts off elsewhere in the house.

" Don't worry about me, I'm fine. As long as I'm with my big sister I don't care if we're on a different planet, I'm used to travelling a lot. But there's nothing to do here, I'm bored."

" Trunks has plenty of toys and the like, surely that should suffice-."

" They're all boys toys though." He ponders upon this, this is a problem worthy of his time. She cooks him food, lots of food, very tasty food at that and therefore she must be accommodated for properly. There is only one place he can think of where he might find the solution to her boredom.

The quiet roar of the waves lapping on the small tropical island greets him as he Instant Transmissions in the shade of a swaying palm tree. Just the man he was looking for is busy on the beach having a light sparring session with his stunning blonde wife.

" Hey, pipsqueak!" He announces his arrival whilst marching towards one of the few fighters that he can naturally look down on. Looking up from his training, he smiles and waves at his old comrade.

" Oh hey Vegeta, what brings you here?" The smaller man runs his hand through his short black hair and wipes the sweat from his face. The loose fitting gi of the House of turtle students seems a little bit worse for wear as Krillin is nowhere near the league at which his wife can fight and so normally suffers a bit more during these little bouts.

" I have a question for you, concerning your daughter … Marron I think. Well you see the problem is Sasami, the younger sister of one of the women **temporarily **staying with me, appears dissatisfied with the amount of enrichment available …." Trying to get this over as quickly as he can to spare himself the humility of his actions he just hopes Krillin picks up on what he is getting at.

" Ah, I see. Kids, what are they like? They always need something to do but I'm not the person you need to be talking to. 18 deals with all that stuff, only children I ever really knew were Goku and Gohan so when it comes to girls I have no idea what they like." Thanking the Kais that the human understood, he wanders across the fine, pale sands to Krillin's wife. She feigns not hearing him and doesn't acknowledge his prescence instead focusing on the few sea birds floating on the surf.

" Look you oversized toaster, heed me now or suffer the consequences. I never did pay you back for that time you broke my arm so don't test me. I hear they are paying good money for scrap metal nowadays." His dislike of the half machine before him grows with each passing second as she continues to disregard him and his queries.

" Hey calm down now, I'm sure 18 will help you out, won't you 18?" The strongest human alive tries to alleviate the situation, hoping for his wife's sake that she will acquiesce. With a snap, the snarling prince disappears and badly frightens an otherwise preoccupied Roshi sat by his T.V with one of his 'exercise' videos playing. In the corner of the room in a world of her own messing with many assorted crayons and a colouring book little Marron is sat. Kneeling down beside the small blonde child a devilish smile splits his face from ear to ear.

" Marron!" The parents of the child rush into Kame house, fearing what Vegeta might do. He is too close, they can't get there in time.

" So Marron, I understand it's your birthday soon. As a friend of the family I was wondering what you might like for me to get you as a present." Krillin and 18 stop in their tracks, all their fears unfounded. Vegeta's tact of getting the information straight from the horse's mouth as it were proves to be a very effective one as the happy juvenile spills out a long list of toys and such. Remembering as many of these items and names as he can, he stands up and walks to leave the house with 18 and Krillin parting to get out of his way.

A cascade of highly multi-coloured boxes and containers crash to the floor of the living room. The abrupt noise makes Sasami jump and then she notices the large pile left unattended on the floor. Getting up off the seat, she moves to inspect it and her little childish heart bursts with joy and glee at the sight of so many different toys. Job done, Vegeta starts another simulation in the training room, a battle with Hirudegarn at 500 times Earth's gravity and dives into the fray.

Dusk falls on the surrounding landscape as dark amber hues cover the soon to be dark sky. Ryoko and Ayeka return back after several hours of flying with badly windswept hair. They don't care though. They don't care about anything except for resting now as they lumber exhausted into the living room with their feet dragging and collapse in a heap on the sofa next to each other. Falling asleep before their heads even touch the cushions, the tired women rest.

Finally the great carapace before him explodes and one of the limbs of Hirudegarn comes crashing down beside him. More of the beast splatters about, many chunks of armour plating like hide narrowly missing Vegeta. Barging out of the training room, gasping for breath in heaves and droves with even more holes, patches, rips and burn marks on his formally blue but now blackened jumpsuit. Copious amounts of blood flow onto the floor from the mighty savage gashes left in his body from the fight.

Out of thin air a senzu bean is now in his hand, he swallows it whole and it undoes all the harm done to his body. Fully recovered, he goes to have a well earned sit down on his couch but can't for the two women sprawled across it. Surrendering the seat to them he fetches a blanket from his room and lays it across the sleeping ladies before heading outside. Sitting down cross legged by the black depths of the lake he closes his eyes and meditates whilst the world around him turns to blackest night.

" Oh come on quit being such a baby, it's only a few tests. I need to see what the data for a human-Saiyan hybrid is, then maybe you could get that friend of yours to stop over and enable me to increase my sample size." A very scared Trunks flees from the pursuing Washu. Easily able to outrun her but not wanting to just abandon the house, he continues to run up the stairs, back down the stairs and around every room in the house from the manic cackles. She stops when he enters the vacated training room and turns on the artificial gravity. A shallow victory for him and a loud commotion for the tired Ryoko and Ayeka as they rouse themselves. Wearily they notice the blanket caringly draped over them. Looking out the wide window they see Vegeta alone in the darkness. Standing up Ryoko phases and Ayeka treads softly out of the room and house.

Contemplating and pondering with a cleared mind as peaceful as it ever will be, Vegeta sits in silence but no longer alone. Ryoko sat down on his right hand side and Ayeka on his left. Not opening his eyes, he feels them looking at him, just looking and watching him. The minutes drift by as they enjoy the simple pleasure of being in his company, sitting next to him under the wide expanse of the stars above.

His right hand starts to glow a most brilliant pure white. With a throwing motion he releases it and it begins to hurtle high into the atmosphere. The power ball stops a few miles up then expands rapidly illuminating the lake like a flare. Opening his eyes Vegeta stares at the bright globe of his own personal artificial 'moon', Ryoko and Ayeka's gaze never left his face. Dropping his eyes to the reflections in the water before him he sees the two doppelgangers of the women by his side.

" The moon. It still holds a deep power over me and my Saiyan blood … even with the disgraceful loss of my tail. It calms me, soothes me, fills me with peace and tranquillity. When it used to call forth the beast within it now subdues it. I arrived on this planet an elite warrior of the high echelons of the most powerful military force ever seen. Now I am a father, a widow and constantly being outdone and outclassed by that clown Kakarot. My great Saiyan pride is withering. I don't kill for sport or pleasure anymore. I spend all of my time cooped up inside training and training so that one day … one day I will finally regain my intended and rightful place as the superior warrior. Yet for 14, no 16, long years I have strived for that goal with everything I have, surpassing all of my limits and even death itself … still victory continues to forever elude me, always there just beyond my reach. Dancing ever close yet always snatched away, it's probably what I deserve."

Pouring out his heart and soul to the women their eyes begin to mist over. Their hearts both saddened by his tale yet elated that he is choosing to share his innermost thoughts and feelings with them. Lashing out with his fist in a burst the power ball in the night sky is torn asunder and blows up, plunging the three sat down into night. His muscles tensing, teeth gritted and fists clenched he desperately tries to contain or control the ever present all consuming rage. With no hint of fear from this display in unison the women lean forwards and hug one of his Herculean arms each. Not shying away from their touch or hold, he continues to stare into the now reflectionless lake.

" … I thank you for your company and for listening to me. But you must know that I am still not over the death of my wife, your feelings for me I cannot reciprocate back. … I will need time, I don't know how long but when the time comes I will let you know."

Wanting to seize and make the most of the magical moment, Ryoko and Ayeka lean close to him. He feels the warmth of their feminine bodies and every exhalation they make. The women's eyes close as they lean ever closer still, slowly going to kiss him on the cheek. Vegeta cracks a smile. The full and moist lips of Ryoko meet the red and luscious lips of Ayeka. As they open their eyes to look into the eyes of their kisser, they find that to their shock and horror Vegeta leaned backwards at the last moment. Violently pulling away from each other they sit on the grass turning a very deep shade of red. Ayeka rubs at her lips trying to remove any evidence of the deed she has just done whilst Ryoko just stares mortified.

" Well if that's the way you two feel about one another I won't get in your way, I'll just leave you to it then." Smirking, he vanishes off into the night leaving the women extremely embarrassed and ashamed.


	7. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 7: Day 7

Chapter 7

A restless and disturbed night, with dark dreams cloying at her mind. Her vivid imagination toying with her and the incident that occurred but several hours previously. The raucous commotion from directly below her room penetrates through the thick solid oak floor. Waking drenched in sweat, her light nightie sticking to her body and with the covers thrown off her in a creased pile by her feet, Ayeka curses under her breath at Ryoko obviously turning up the T.V volume to wake her.

Cautiously, she makes her way to the bathroom and goes inside after knocking to make sure she wouldn't have to relive yesterday's little bathroom faux pas. The bathing quarters appear empty yet with the other occupants of the household that means very little. It takes well over an hour for her to complete washing herself so that her skin is baby smooth and supple and her hair as sleek and lustrous as if it were a cascading waterfall of amaranthine falling down her gentle shoulders, all this she does not just for her morning ritual but in hope that her splendour will shine through to him.

Her breath rancid from last nights binge, Ryoko rolls out of her bed knocking over the two empty sake bottles by her. The chiming of the glass is like a banshee's wail scraping through her mind as the room begins to spin and slip out of focus. Throbbing and pounding, her mind reminds her what happens when you drink to excess. Quickly she silences the hangover with a rush of ki and phases out of her room and into the bathroom.

The one person she did not want to see, especially so early in the morning, by Sod's law has to be the one she appears in front of. An awkward silence as they look at each other then silently walk on past one another with the princess leaving the bathroom wrapped in a velvety towel. Reminded of the dreaded thing Vegeta tricked them into doing in front of him Ryoko shudders.

Plunging her head in the cool waters to cleanse and purify her mouth from an ensuing bitter taste – or as close as can be for someone without taste buds – Ryoko groans as she alleviates the aches in her body. Refreshed, she slips the rest of her body into the pool, taking as long as she possibly can cleaning her alluring body. Wishing that the champion of her heart would walk through those doors, get bewitched by just a glimpse of her enchanting, sensuous curves and be the one to scrub the tender skin of her back, maybe even a little bit more.

All traces of last nights boozing washed and sponged away, back in her room she puts on another of her new dresses to see whether this one would, with any luck, entice Vegeta more. A simple blue dyed cotton dress flowing to her feet with yellow stripes adorning her sleeves and below the burgundy cummerbund. Hardly having to think about it, Ryoko finishes off her outfit with her 'tail'. Beyond any doubt in her mind she is positive that wearing this must in some small way appeal to his Saiyan nature and give her an edge over that damned Juraian.

Going straight through the floorboards, Ryoko arrives next to Ayeka in the doorway to the kitchen. Only wanting to grab a light snack for breakfast both women look on at the scene before them bewildered, it wasn't a T.V that woke Ayeka it turns out. 21 people – including Ryo-ohki - are crammed in the kitchen, some of them strangers they have not met before and so making it even weirder that they are just there in the house.

As expected, Vegeta is at the head of the table with his son by his side wolfing down the hearty banquet of breakfast arrayed on the heaving table. Sasami has truly outdone herself, managing to cook a fry-up breakfast for such a large amount of guests when some can eat enough food for a large family in a single sitting. Piles of sausages and crispy back bacon, mountains of chips and golden hash browns, steaming bowls of baked beans or fried tomatoes along with many other dishes with other fried food such as bread or eggs. The way a true breakfast should be.

Sasami is still frantically working in the kitchen along with the help of Chichi, who will not admit how amazed she is by this little girl's cooking skills and how she was stuck with the basic jobs like potato peeler. For every dish cleared by the hungry Z warriors more are brought forth and laid on the table. Wary of such a large crowd of formidable fighters, the women sit down on the two make-shift chairs remaining formed out of stacks of cushions and pillows in the corner of the room.

They spot quite a few familiar faces. Chichi did not come alone of course and so at the end of the table directly opposite the prince of their race sit Goku, Gohan and Goten – Gohan having also brought Videl with him and not wearing his ridiculous glasses. Father and sons are wearing the gi of the school of Turtle and King Kai respectively, being careful in their feeding to snatch any crumbs out of the air and digest them part out of hunger and part to not spoil their bright orange clothing.

The head of the school of Turtle is also there in a black and white martial arts suit and his roving eyes hidden behind his signature green tinted shades. Roshi appears very out of place sat between Yamcha and Tien. The bald triclopsian showing off his sturdy, scarred chest with a forest green gi covering only one shoulder and the scar faced bandit with a long, unkempt mane and also wearing a gi honouring his tutorage under Roshi. Never to be without his best friend Tien, the incredibly short albino with rosy red cheeks Chiaotzu levitates beside his long time pal.

Krillin, the other fighter here of stunted growth, is with his wife and child along with the nomadic uncle of Marron, 17. A long, brown leather duster, torn jeans, orange bandanna and perfectly straight jet black hair are the main differences between these two near identical brother and sister androids, save for their difference in gender. Finally there are the four fighters not eating or by the table. The two Namekians: Dende, now fully grown and only a bit shorter than the other of his species, and Piccolo still wearing his cloak and turban as always. As Dende is the guardian of the planet and creator of the current set of dragonballs his faithful servant Mr. Popo is dutifully stood by his side trying not to look uncomfortable by the last guest of similar physique. Majin Buu.

Although purified of all evil from within him, the obese pink blob still is the least accepted member in the party of protectors of the Earth. It doesn't help that he was separated from his pet dog and only friend Mr. Satan - who apparently has an extremely serious and real stomach ache that impairs his fighting so much he just couldn't make it – putting the creation of Bibidi in a sullen and grumpy mood. The other Z warriors know how childlike he can be and don't want to be anywhere near him if he decides to tantrum.

Only the Saiyans or children of Saiyans are the ones still breakfasting. All the humans and other assorted species have had their fill nearly an hour ago and are just catching up with one another, reminiscing over old times and battles fought long ago. Light conversation only just drowning out the sound of the diners fast approaching the final dish of food. One plate left, one last morsel of food left … a lone pork sausage stands alone between Goku and Vegeta. With their offspring pushing themselves away from the table with stomachs full to the point of bursting, the only pure blooded Saiyans lock eyes in a standoff.

" I suppose there's only one way to settle this Kakarot …" His voice cuts through the chatter and plunges the room into a deadly silence, the tension building between prince and the one raised on Earth. All eyes focus on the two, knowing that the peaceful meal could at any minute erupt into a deadly brawl over nothing more than a scrap of food.

" … this is my house, so this food I claim as my own! If you have any objections you know where the door is and my boot will gladly aid you on your way." Grabbing his prize from the centre of the table, he stands to address the gathering of superpowers with banger in hand.

" We've all felt this new presence far off in the margins between our north quadrant of the galaxy and that of the east. It has only been two days, less than 48 hours, since this 'thing' has emerged … and already it is well on its way to surpassing all of us in terms of sheer strength. Such exponential growth of power and by tomorrow none of us would stand a hope in hell against it. It is still an unknown life form but whatever it is it needs to be dealt with, soon and with extreme prejudice. An hour of training to warm up in the gravity chamber then we embark to exterminate whatever the hell it is. Any questions?" None of the fighters respond and just stand up, heading off for Vegeta's personal training room. Ayeka and Ryoko on the other hand have a ton of questions whirring around their minds, this being the first time they have heard about this new enemy.

The non combatants also quietly leave the kitchen for the more spacious and comfortable living room, leaving Vegeta alone with the two women. He bites off one half of the piece of meat still in his gloved hand and tears the remainder into two equal pieces. Looking down at the pieces of food, he battles against the rising primal Saiyan urge to devour it there and then and steps towards the two seated women offering a piece to each of them.

" Here, take it. You came down late and so didn't have anything to eat. One should not go without food, today of all days." He shares his food extremely reluctantly, Ayeka courteously accepts and thanks him for the hand out. Ryoko snatches the quarter that would have been touched by Vegeta's mouth when he took his bite.

" It's just like indirectly kissing isn't it, oh you are such a sly one Vegeta, asking me to nibble on your sausage. What would people say if they knew?" Ryoko's teasing and flirting luckily goes unnoticed by Ayeka who doesn't pick up on the euphemism used or what the coy corsair is alluring to. Vegeta groans, he should have seen that coming from a mile off, his mind was elsewhere focusing on the task he faces today. Choosing rather to ignore Ryoko's exasperating behaviour than confront her over it he starts to walks off from the two women.

" Excuse me Lord Vegeta but what's going on? Are we in some kind of danger from being attacked by something?" Ayeka looks up at his serious expression, Vegeta can see the subtle signs of worry in her face. The Juraian princess is not so much scared for a threat to her own life as she is for any potential danger to her younger sister and what she can do to protect her from any eventualities.

" You afraid princess? 'Cos I'm not, come on Vegeta let's go kick its arse right now." Despite her great enthusiasm the Saiyan prince doesn't see how much help, if any, she would be in the coming fight.

" You saying that even though you can now sense power levels you didn't notice it Ryoko?" Vegeta gets Ryoko to pause for a second with that little quip as he returns to Ayeka's previous question. "Anyway there is no threat to Earth at the minute, but to be on the safe side I'm going to make sure it doesn't see tomorrow." He leaves them to eat the small breakfast that was left to them from his rare act of charity. A booming rapping on her door brings Washu out of her sanctum of science.

" The battle armour I requested, is it ready yet?" Vegeta's toned muscles in his crossed arms at eye level for the mademoiselle of knowledge and intellect are a perfect reminder to Washu as to why she accepted to do this little favour for him.

" I finished off the last batch late last night, or early this morning, it's as light as a feather and a lot more durable than all other previous models. Oh, I also implemented it with your wife's capsule technology so that … I don't know, you could carry around spares in your pocket or something." The magenta haired youth dashes back off into the lab and swiftly returns holding one of the small pill shaped devices with the logo not of Vegeta's wife's company but a little caricature of Washu's face, her ego knows no bounds. Pressing the button and throwing the capsule on the floor, a moment later in a puff of smoke a near perfect replica of Vegeta's favourite attire lays on the ground.

The Saiyan prince stoops to pick it up, inspecting the protection he will have to use for today's mission. No shoulder guards or skirt armour, just like his own – but for the fact Washu also stamped her logo not too inconspicuously on one of the chest plates. He turns it around, balancing it on the tip of one of his fingers then brings one of his gloved fists smashing straight through both sides of the plate armour as if it were cardboard. Dropping the remains to the floor, he looks unimpressed at Washu who is just gawking at him.

" What was that? I thought you said you'd improved it. You focused too much on decreasing the weight of the armour and not enough on the protection it offers to its wearers. It's feather light for you, but you forgot that it's not you who will be wearing it to potentially save their lives. As long as it's under, say, twenty tons then it will not encumber my movements or fighting whatsoever … you have less than one hour. Get to work or you'll be coming with us on this mission and I'll be using you for armour instead." With that ominous threat hanging over her she scurries back into her lab with the ruined piece of armour in her hands.

" Hey, you two, where do you think you're going?" Vegeta stops Ryoko and Ayeka on their way past him, barring their way past with his body.

" You said an hour of training right? So we're going to the training room like you said." Ryoko seems confused by having to answer this question, surely Vegeta remembers what he said a few minutes ago.

" Ha, don't make me laugh. I meant that only for real fighters, you better sit this one out with the other weaklings. This battle will be hard enough without having to babysit the both of you. Until you can overpower Videl or Chichi you're not worth the effort of bringing along." Striding away from them he enters the training room and slams the thick door in their faces. They are fuming, infuriated by his blasé dismissal of their kind offering of aiding him in the sortie.

Only just keeping their emotions in check, both women moodily sit down by the other outclassed or passive members of the group. Being put in the same class as the two infant girls playing with Ryo-ohki is just too great an affront to each of their sense of honour and pride they cannot bear it, never mind his blatant rejection of them.

" Grrr. How dare he! Who does he think he is? I'm a space pirate, feared in over ten solar systems for my power and … and he goes and says I'm too weak to help; too frail, that I'd just get in the way. He'll pay for putting me with this old grandma!" With that Ryoko signs her own death warrant. Being sat next to Chichi, who honestly never likes the topic of her age, this in hindsight was the worst possible thing she could have done or said.

The hellfires raise in the wife of Goku's eyes. She slowly rises from her seat staring at Ryoko with murderous intent. A small little squeal escapes from the frightened Ryoko as she watches Chichi's hair loose itself from its bun and begin to rise, a burgundy like flame surrounding the enraged wife and mother. Ayeka can't help but enjoy watching Ryoko squirm under the extreme discomfort of the situation, a sentiment not shared by the other onlookers – Videl, Dende and Chiaotzu.

" WHAT DID YOU CALL ME !?" The acid dripping words seethe out of her clenched teeth. Her face hardening into a dark visage of maddening outrage, the Kaioken-like aura intensifying around Chichi like her blinding rage. Ryoko phases up on top of one of the wooden beams, peeping her head tentatively over the edge to peer down on the bride of Goku.

" Y-you must have misheard me, I-I called you … umm a-a nice, p-pretty, young lady who doesn't look a-a day over 70." The meek excuse Ryoko hopes will atone her for her loose tongue dangerously backfires, a slight discrepancy between her concept of how long a year is and that of an Earth year seals her fate.

Like a rabid cat, Chichi leaps high into the air with a flying kick aimed straight at Ryoko's hiding spot, the wood splinters and groans as her foot lands on it and instantly she rebounds to where Ryoko is quickly flying off to. Hard pressed to defend herself from such an onslaught of lightning fast kicks and jabs, Chichi's claws are out in this cat fight. Forced to phase away from Chichi, Ryoko appears outside the house a safe 50ft off the floor. Chichi rushes outside to continue her assault against the flying woman but her inability to fly leaves her unable to hit Ryoko, even though she can easily jump to the same height as that of which Ryoko is hovering at.

" What the hell's wrong with you? You're a goddamn psycho! Is this how earthlings react when I give them a compliment, sheesh!"

" A compliment! As if! I don't care what part of space you're from but if you think calling me a wrinkly 70 year old is a compliment you're out of your mind. I'll have you know I'm still in my thirties!" With all her unbridled fury Chichi shouts this last statement, still itching to get her own back on the one flying tauntingly above her head. Ryoko looks confused, her concepts of time differing greatly from that of the woman below her.

" You lie. There's no way that you're only 30, you'd still look like Sasami if you were. We're both women here so you can tell the truth, I myself am in my second century of being alive." Chichi is silenced, too shocked by the announcement that Ryoko is closer in age to Roshi than her.

" Hahahahahaha, oh now isn't this a pleasant little surprise. So there is a very good explanation after all as to why you always behave like an old hag … and for the sagging." Ayeka chuckles to herself from her spot in the shadows of the doorway, unable to contain the ecstatic glee from overhearing this conversation and finding out Ryoko's true age.

" MY BODY IS NOT SAGGING! I'll show you who's an old hag you fat, inbred bitch!" Now it's Ryoko's turn to be on the offensive concerning the delicate issue of age. With a battle cry she dives towards the princess with balls of flickering red gathering in her fists. Ayeka spawns her miniature guardians which begin to crackle with growing energy as the space pirate swoops down ready to blast her.

With Ryoko but feet away from her Ayeka lifts off from the ground preparing to engage her when a pale faced child sized man steps into the fray. The air shimmers around them, their bodies trapped as if they were set in stone. Paralyzed by the telekinetic powers of Chiaotzu, he stops their fight. He keeps them in that frozen state for half an hour until he thinks they have calmed down enough to be released – this he judges as that is the time when they stop exchanging insults.

In control of their own bodies again, the women see the consequences of continuing their grudge match, Ryoko phases back into the house with Ayeka and Chiatzou walking back in after her. With peace, in the loosest form of the word, enforced, the four women, two girls, Namekian and Chiaotzu watch the television screen to see how the sparring matches are going.

7 intense battles are raging simultaneously, each fighter paired up with the most appropriate other of a similar power level – although for some this still leaves them seriously outclassed and outmatched. The old martial arts master is trying to land blows on the genie of the lookout, his old body still muscular but not as fast as it once was. Wrinkles and age have eroded some of his former strength but he still has enough left in him and the wisdom and battle experience of his great age still makes him a valuable asset to the warriors. Mr. Popo doesn't seem to be having too much trouble deflecting the elderly fists shooting towards him, but the stamina of Roshi eventually begins to tire the servant of Dende.

The dynamic duo, Goten and Trunks, obviously paired themselves up together for the pretend fight. Neither taking it too seriously because of the rules enforced by the others of no transformations, blasts or planet destroying techniques to be used to protect the more vulnerable of the Z warriors from the destructive capabilities of the might of Saiyans. Only one year in difference between the lads yet at such a young age this gives Trunks a good advantage over Goten in muscle growth and reach.

Tall and slim battles short and stocky as Krillin has the misfortune of having his wife attacking him. The she-cyborg being able to over power super Saiyans with relative efficiency and the strongest human being alive – how Krillin wishes that his power and years of training would count for anything as his Mrs bears down upon him. 18 would never kill her beloved husband but the amount she has to restrain her formidable strength by just to make the training non fatal for Krillin is testing her self control.

For old time's sake Piccolo squares up against the first being to witness his power after re-joining bodies with Kami. The calm and confident 17 prepares for a rematch after this duel was interrupted by a most unwelcome guest last time. Coal black hair and pea green antenna flail about as they finally try and settle the score. Not the only pair to be recreating a historic scene, the firstborn Human-Saiyan hybrid is left with the only other close to approaching his prowess, even though it having rapidly dipped off after Old Kai's supreme bolstering of his unbridled hybrid potency. Him and Buu seem on even ground with each other mainly as Buu has no technique or grace when it comes to fighting and has not fought or trained for well over two years now.

It's not all fun and games though, for the two final match ups are those between crusaders with grudges. Vegeta and Goku, Yamcha and Tien. Neither Vegeta or Yamcha having ever truly forgiven their sparring partner for their humiliation, their disgrace and injuries. Yamcha suffered a broken leg last time he truly fought against Tien and that injury left him in no shape to defend his friends from the evil of King Piccolo. Vegeta will never surrender his pride or rightful place of strongest Saiyan to the ragtag low-class scum and for that the training starts to get interesting.

The audience intently watching the screen cheers on their respective warrior: Chiaotzu for Tien, Dende for Piccolo and Mr. Popo, Videl for Gohan, Chichi for Goku ad her sons and of course Ryoko and Ayeka are keenly observing Vegeta's battle. Brash and bold as ever, Ryoko isn't as shy as Ayeka when it comes to letting people know where her allegiance lies. Sasami and Marron couldn't care less about the tournament occurring but 10 metres from where they amuse themselves with the mountain of toys Vegeta generously bought for his small personal chef.

The hour is almost up, the training comes to a crashing halt as one by one a winner is decided in each match. Getting tired of being on the receiving end, Popo dispatches Roshi, the frailty of his elder age once again catching up with him. The turtle hermit's defeat almost makes Krillin's look like a close match for as soon as his wife quickly bores of the relative weakness of her husband he is down on the ground eating dirt. Android 17 and Buu both taste defeat once again at the hands of Piccolo and his first and only student Gohan. Goten and Trunks' contest though is won by a hair's breadth as the older lad triumphantly stands over his thwarted buddy.

Not allowing themselves to be outdone in anyway, Yamcha and Tien struggle on against each other through the onset of fatigue and injury. Never conceding ground to the other, neither backing down, the humans continue their fight whilst the only others left make them look as though they were helpless new born babies. No-one watching could honestly have described in the slightest what the fight Goku and Vegeta had consisted of. As soon as both of them had set foot in the training room they had vanished from sight, with not a single trace of their whereabouts or fight detectable.

Tien and Yamcha at the last second break off from one another and fly out of the training room as the whole holographic earth erupts in a mountain of bedrock and debris. None of the fighters or non-combatants are paying any attention to the television but staring through the open doorway where the two scarred humans stand panting and exhausted. Behind them in a crater that would rival that of one caused by a large moon impacting the simulated world two Saiyans interlock in an epic struggle.

Braced against each other, hands locked, feet dug a foot into the solid rock the prince and the pauper push with all their strength against each other. The world beneath them continues to crack and fracture, the hill sized boulders unearthed by them, vibrating into the air and a thunderous groan shudders the virtual globe. A smile of understanding flickers between the destined pair. The roars of the trembling planet are drowned out by the yells of the most powerful beings in existence as they both ascend in synch with the other to super Saiyan 3.

The aura radiated out from them envelops the entire battlefield, bolts of lightning zap and dart across the open doorway. Everyone just stands and stares, unable to do anything else at this incomprehensible power displayed before them. Only Dende seems to not care about the ensuing battle as he tunes it out and sets to his job of healing all of the combatants with his mystical, unique Namekian powers. Not a single person, including Gohan, can follow or tell what is taking place behind the wall of shining luminescence barring the portal to the battleground. Then a deafening silence deadens the house.

Emerging from their own blinding light, Vegeta and Goku walk towards the rest of the group. Their clothes tattered and torn like their bodies. Not waiting for Dende, Vegeta carries on slamming open Washu's door, obliterating it again. His coarse, blonde hair disappearing through the door, the floor beneath him cracking, the air around him sizzling and boiling from his immense amount of energy constantly being given off by his body. Like a flare he lights his own way into the endless system of rooms and corridors of Washu's den, following the faint humming and buzzing of her busily working machines and computers.

The rumble shaking her lab deepens and escalates, by now she has no need to guess who is stomping towards her. Her hands a blur over the keyboard, she enters the last command to her robotic inventions as she rushes to finalise the assignment she was given not too long ago. 13 capsules quickly tumble out of a large dispenser, grabbing them Washu turns to face the growing source of light encroaching on her position.

The light suddenly cuts off plunging her lab back into murky gloom, lit only by the ghostly light emitted from the numerous screens and monitors. Her genius mind estimates his position correctly. Slowly swivelling round on her floating chair she comes face to face with a slightly worn out and bruised Vegeta.

" You're just in time. Right this moment I have done the impossible and redesigned, remodelled and recreated this whole batch of my armour-"

" TO HELL WITH THE ARMOUR! If you don't tell me right this second why the training room simulation and gravity cut off when I was in the midst of prevailing over that damned Kakarot you will beg for the sweet release of death before I am done with you!" His barrel chest sharply rising and falling as his laboured breathing continues to try and counteract the large oxygen debt his body built up in the last few minutes, his ki slowly disposing of the lactic acid and other signs of fatigue. His eyes like daggers he waits for an explanation, a good one or she will be smeared across the floor and decorating the walls of this godforsaken place.

" It shut down? Hmmm interesting, lets take a look … I wonder …" Her life on the line, she pivots to face her semi-translucent computer flicking through the flood of information continually flowing into her archives and databases. In no time at all she has found the relevant window and opened it to reveal why her upgrades to the training room ceased functioning.

" Seems like you two actually managed to overload its circuitry: every fuse is blown, every wire burnt out and most of the components charred to a crisp. You broke every failsafe I installed, every last one of them … and I designed it to be able to take as much energy as that emitted from a dozen star systems combined. You Saiyans really don't interact well with your environment when powered up do you?" She might have pushed her luck too far with that last remark. Wincing, she shies and prepares her pretty young face to be malformed by his fists … opening her eyes she carefully checks around her lab. Still on guard, she goes back to work on the armour to find all the capsules missing. In the distance she hears another of her mass produced doors that automatically replaces its unfortunate predecessor being slammed and broken as Vegeta leaves her be.

He is seriously pissed that his duel with Goku was disrupted like it was when Buu was first spawned, yet there are bigger fish to fry and the fool can wait for another day. Back with his companions and compatriots, Vegeta awaits for Dende to restore him to full health. All the others are applauding his and Goku's spectacular show, the women proud of their men as are their sons. Goku's and Vegeta's eyes linger on the other for a while, both itching to finish what they started and their hunger for battle still roaring deep within them.

Now with every fighting member of the Z warriors back at their maximum, Vegeta throws down all the armour capsules he took from Washu's lab, activating their automatic release system. 13 perfect sets of Saiyan battle garments lay on the floor between Vegeta and the rest, he stifles his anger at the way in which Washu took the liberty of customising each chest plate with her little icon. He also is curious as to why she decided that making different versions and colourations of the armour was necessary, he will never understands the machinations her astute yet twisted mind concocts.

His current armour he is wearing is in shreds, as is most of the clothing worn by all the other participants from the harsh hour of training they were subjected to. Washu must have foreseen this and so included with each set of armour a blue or black jumpsuit out of the kindness of her heart. Bending down on one sturdy knee, the prince of Saiyans picks up the nearest suit of armour, gratified to find it has some weight to it this time and seems more durable.

One minute he is wearing clothes on the brink of falling off of him the next he is perfectly dressed in the armour that was in his hands, blue jumpsuit and Saiyan armour complete with pauldrons and crotch and hip guards. It feels good to be back in the old uniform he wore before Earth and his downfall, decades have passed since he last wore any armour such as this. Ryoko however is immensely disheartened that Vegeta has changed before her very eyes yet not even a glimpse of his body was offered for her. With Vegeta now ready and stretching his elasticated gloves and boots on, the others begin to choose their own raiments.

Black and green, no shoulder or hip guards – the armour of a Saiyan elite force member. If it only had no sleeves or torso part of the black jumpsuit Goku would look in every sense like the father he never knew. The only others to have tried on armour before, Gohan and Krillin, both decide on the ones closest to resembling those they wore back on Namek when they fought against Freiza. Full sleeved, blue jumpsuit and with the prominent pauldrons attached to the breastplate. Gohan joins the other Saiyans whilst Krillin struggles with the boots on his armour.

The women seem to not know where to look with men apparently undressing right before them yet they don't see anything. Washu did not make any of the jumpsuits sleeveless or without trousers like Nappa or Raditz wore thankfully as they are largely impractical. Despite this though there is still a considerable variation in the armours available such as colour schemes or additional protection such as Haidate. The geminate androids disregard the armour and decide to go without it, on aesthetical grounds mainly for 18 as she feels that it would be a crime against fashion for one such as her to wear this crude and seriously out of style clothing.

The reformed desert raider and turncoat student of the Crane martial arts school don the black and brown shoulder padded armour alike to what Goku's brother wore before Piccolo drilled through his and Goku's stomach. Goten and Trunks are not left with any choice, the armour might stretch to any size but it does not decrease past a certain limit so the two pint sized whippersnappers don the junior sized armour. The last warrior to dress for battle is the Namekian who lives in solitude, already having shoulder pads he drapes his cape over the navy blue armour he grudgingly wears. Roshi and Popo would wear the remaining suits if it were not too cumbersome for them, they do not have such levels of strength for even lifting the hardened armour off of the ground never mind being able to move with any degree of speed in it.

" Everyone ready? Ok then, all of us join hands together and I'll instant transmission us to the planet this thing is currently on - " Goku takes charge for he does not yet know that in his training Vegeta has also mastered the art of teleportation and so assumes he is the only one who can instigate their little adventure.

" Hey wait a minute Goku. I got to say goodbye to Marron first Ok, just be a minute." The long term friend of Goku goes to his daughter along with his wife. Deciding to leave his precious Marron in the capable hands of the woman in the room with the strongest maternal instincts of all, Chichi. Promising he and 18 will be back safe and soon, Krillin and his wife re-join with the assembled soldiers of unrivalled might. Standing in a circle the men, woman and Namekian join hands with each other – most of them feeling very awkward and self aware in this embarrassing stance.

" Hey wait! Don't leave without me! Wait!" Two feminine voices chime in unison. Vegeta curses not too quietly under his breath when he sees the two women who have plagued his last week sprinting into the room at full speed. He takes his eyes off of them for less than a few minutes whilst he waits for the others to get ready and they must have snuck off and changed into their own battle gear. Ryoko is back in her tight fitting crimson and black one piece and flying towards him like a speeding jet. Ayeka's suit is radically different from all the other garbs and garments she has worn around the house, although Vegeta didn't expect her to have a set of clothing for war anyhow. Long leather boots, salmon coloured tights and sleeves, a brown and black hardened waistcoat with a baby blue ribbon wrapped tightly around her slim waist but most shocking of all is the grey hue her skin has taken on as well as the two black slashes along each of her cheeks.

" Kakarot go now, we don't need their help. Go!" A wry smile plays across Goku's face as he hesitates for one second before all of the Z warriors fizz out of existence and view, along with Ayeka and Ryoko who at the last instant had managed to brush their fingertips along Vegeta's back. With nothing left to do, the women and Chiaotzu sit down patiently waiting for the safe return of the ones who had just left. Ryo-ohki meows loudly as she watches her owner desert her, quickly forgetting about it as she hops back towards the merry young girls.

" You lot just gonna sit there and wait aren't you. Well lucky for you the smartest and most beautiful scientist is here to help. You'll all be glad to know that I secreted in microscopic high definition cameras cunningly hidden within my logo on the armour that they are wearing that should be transmitting live feed right now to this T.V screen right now." Popping out of her lab now she knows the coast is clear and her life is no longer being threatened by Vegeta, the girl like prober of the unknown and unknowable Washu takes a seat by the other women. Plopping herself down in-between Chichi and Videl she switches on the T.V and turns it over to channel -1, her own special channel for her own frequency of broadcasts, as the screen loads and projects all 9 data feeds.

BAMF! 15 humanoids appear out of thin air on a far away planet. A faint breeze whistles past them, stirring up the grey dust and ash covering the whole landscape. A barren and desolate wasteland of grey and brown, not a hint of greenery or life to be seen. Five great moons of differing size light the night sky along with a host of celestial bodies unviewable from the Earth they just left. Their feet sink slightly into the cinders coating the floor of this desert, this featureless plain devoid of all topography or undulations just a flat landscape of sombre ash from horizon to bleak horizon.

Ryoko and Ayeka start to cough and wheeze from the low concentration of oxygen on the arid uninhabited world. The spluttering of the women breaks the eternal silence of the wasted world, the only noise made on the planet as the rest is silence. Vegeta shrugs off the two arms of the women grasped firmly to his back as he takes in his surroundings, noting that there will be no geographical features to give an advantage to anyone. No high ground or mountains to smash someone into, not nearby at least. The other warriors seem to also be analysing the area that will soon become a battleground, testing how much give the ground has, the effect the only slightly stronger gravity has on their bodies and what the change in oxygen concentration might have on their stamina.

" Darn it, we're too late. I hoped we could save this world from this monster … yet everything is gone. It's already killed them all." Goku's compassion for all living things shines through, even though he did not know who or what lived here the fact that every species of the planet bar one is extinct exasperates the kind soul.

" There's nothing we can do 'bout it now. Hey, at least it didn't absorb them to make itself stronger." Trying to lighten the mood the person most accustomed to climates like this, Yamcha, cheers up his long time pal.

" You're right there Yamcha. I just pray that this one doesn't have regeneration powers or else we'll be in trouble."

" Hey! What's wrong with regeneration? I can do it." The men all turn at this unexpected announcement from Ryoko, annoyed at this slander of what she deems to be a very important part of her fighting ability.

" I agree with you Ryoko. Regeneration is an incredibly useful technique to have under your belt, yet when every enemy you fight can reconstruct its whole body from just a single cell that's when it starts to get real annoying." With his green and pink arms crossed, his striped muscles pronounced, Piccolo doesn't bother looking at who he is addressing just off into the distance where an energy level can be sensed. All of them but Ayeka can sense it and it is growing, swelling, nearing and doing all of these fast.

" I explicitly forbade you from accompanying us, you could endanger us all and jeopardise this mission. Damn you both! Don't you realise how much danger you are in here? This isn't a game you fools, you could die here. Do you want that? Ayeka I expected as much from you, you've never been in a battle in your life but you Ryoko, I expected you to at least have some slight common sense and stay the hell away. Damn you both to hell!" Still taking great umbrage from his cut short fight, he snarls this out a bit too harshly, but only a tad more than he meant to.

" But lord Vegeta w-we just wanted to help, I didn't mean to cause any upset." Poor Ayeka seems nearly heartbroken by him yelling at her, she went through all that trouble of fishing out this ceremonial battle garment and once again through the pain of teleportation just to be shouted at like a misbehaved child.

" The road to hell is paved with good intentions; I know I've been down that road far too many times than I would like. Now shut up and I'll take you back to my house where you will be safe from harm." This little domestic scene has caught everyone's attention, it is the only think going on in the landscape though, so as Vegeta marches towards them a gnarled hand stops him.

" Hey dude just chill out for a sec, ok? Let those two babes stay for a little while, you don't have to worry about them just yet and if it gets a little too dangerous then Goku can Instant Transmission them back to your gaff and hey presto everything's fine. Who knows, they might be a bit weaker then us but every little helps, y'know what I'm saying." Although Ayeka is not too fond of him calling her by such a derogatory term, she firmly agrees with what he is saying as does Ryoko, who once again has taken to staring achingly at Vegeta with pleading puppy dog eyes.

" Humph. You may have a point Yamcha. So be it, you two may be of some use after all. So for the time being you can stay but at any sign of trouble you're gone. Protect Dende, I'm sure that should be something the both of you can manage, if he falls then we lose our medical support so don't mess up. Stay safe." With that final comment he leaves them to look at the same spot on the horizon that Piccolo is watching with eagle eyes. Content with his decision to let them stay, they move over next to the Namekian who is towering head and shoulders above them yet is the weakest fighter out of all of them.

" Hey Dad do I get a super special important mission like them, do I?" Giddy with the prospect of the forthcoming battle due to the diluted Saiyan blood coursing through his veins, Trunks eagerly runs up to his father's side. Vegeta looks down on his only child, the last remnant he has remaining of Bulma, and mulls it over in his mind. He doesn't want to needlessly risk his son's life, having witnessed the death of Trunks before he does not want to go through that again, but his son is still a Saiyan and so by default has to be on the frontlines.

" Trunks, your assignment is the most important of all. You and Goten have the big task of … ensuring the safety of those three people over there. Their lives are in your hands, go now and do your duty my son." Totally enraptured by the enthusiasm and authority with which his father spoke with, Trunks and Goten hurry off to lay down their lives if need be for the people under their protection. Ryoko and Ayeka are not too thrilled however that Vegeta seems to think that children are needed to keep them safe from harm, no matter if they can turn super Saiyan or not.

" You guys better get ready, it's here … and it looks like it brought some friends along with it." Scratching his pitch black goatee, Gohan looks at the spot that has grabbed everyone's attention now stood next to his oldest friend and mentor. But a speck in the distance it currently is, but not for long. A plume of dust ever growing and increasing in size, vast amounts of the ash and dust scattering the floor thrown into the air in a massive plume behind the things approaching the steadfast warriors. The trail blazing behind the beasts begins to brew into a vicious sandstorm, raging towards them as are the small figures that can barely be made out on the floor.

" You young whippersnappers stand back, just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't handle myself. Let's see if I've still got it." Roshi hands his precious shades to Tien, the guy he trusts the most not to put them on for the fact they would be rendered useless by the additional eye in the triclops' forehead. Bracing his legs apart, he stands before all the younger and stronger warriors facing the adversaries and takes a deep breath.

His shirt erupts and flutters down to the floor in shreds. The muscles of the aged man doubling then tripling in size till he stands about a foot taller than Piccolo. Ayeka and Ryoko look amazed at this three hundred year old with the body of a giant, his back muscles rippling with raw power and ham sized fists coming together at his right hand side. His body swivels into the motion of the technique that took him 50 long years to develop and was widely acclaimed as the most powerful on Earth – but that was a long time ago, back when it was his name they shouted not Mr. Satan's.

" KAaaaa…MEEeeee…HAAaaaa...MEeeeeee …" A glowing blue globe bursts into his hands. Dazzling azure light dances in his mighty fists, continually enlarging until his hands cannot hold the sphere anymore. Thrusting his tree sized arms forward and opening his palms at the onrushing horde the first attack of the battle is struck.

" Huuurgghhheuaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The turtle wave like a bolt of lightning from the gods of old shoots from his wrinkled hands tearing a cleft in the ground beneath were it travels, leaving a furrow 20m wide in diameter. The sapphire beam contacts with the animals beneath the sandstorm, ploughing straight through and obliterating them all in a cerulean explosion that engulfs them all. The mountainous sandstorm disperses into nothingness as the granules settle back down. Silence once again takes over the planet, no movement can be heard, no signs of life can be seen just a good sized divot still smoking.

That one attack used up roughly all of Roshi's power, he cannot hope to add more to their effort then that attack as his wheezing lungs pant from the exertion. Planting his dinner plate sized palms on his thighs he calmly exhales, slowly reversing his transformation to 100% power to a form much less cumbersome for fighting. His bushy white eyebrows and beard are plastered to his face and neck from sweat as he stands, more like David now than the Goliath he was before.

" Woo wee, I'm pooped. You guys can take it from here though, I don't know what you got so worked up about if I can kill it." The topless old man retrieves his shades from the other chest baring man which he left in his possession, fluently putting them back on in a century long well practised motion before parking himself down on the gritty floor to rest. Thinking it's all over, Ryoko and Ayeka leave their post at Dende's side to celebrate the anticlimactic victory with Vegeta. Their merry cheering is met by silence as the warriors pay no heed to their joyfulness, instead the men fan out into a wide circle with the women, children and Dende at its centre.

Having only been able to recuperate himself for less then a minute, Roshi flips onto his tired old feet, stretching and limbering up he takes his position at the gap between Piccolo and Buu. Ayeka looks around puzzled, not sure why the men are still readying for battle when all the enemies lies incinerated in a crater a mile away. She is totally oblivious to the ki that Ryoko can detect surrounding them. Ryoko's eyes widen in fear as her newfound sense is overloaded by such a large amount of ki signature's so close and so powerful, encompassing their position entirely.

The shifting sands start to vibrate, a clever ruse by the enemy to send in a headlong charge to all but blind them from the swarm burrowing beneath the loose ground to box in the new prey that it has found. Limbs and heads crawl from the ground in their thousands and the fighters finally get a good look at what they came to put down and wipe from the galaxy. Such a massive host now stands before them, waiting for some unseen signal to begin the besiegement of the universe's finest.

" These skinny runts are what we came for? Pathetic. I've seen more meat on a twig and houseplants that are tougher than these." Vegeta scoffs, thoroughly unimpressed by the small and skeletal state of what he had hoped would be a chance to show his strength, or at least a slight workout.

" HEY! Your houseplants aren't that weak, they killed me once." How could Yamcha forget his encounter with the Saibamen, a year of training down the drain due to a kamikaze attack and the grasping clutches of death. Night terrors still disturb him; the pasty, green face with glowing red eyes cawing incomprehensibly before light engulfs them both and his body fries.

These small monstrosities aren't too dissimilar from those home grown little green men from space. Long, spindly limbs attached to a torso that has not an ounce of fat or muscle on it and so emphasising the large ribcage and broad, bony shoulders of the critters. Two long, whip like tails ceaselessly flicker behind their spined and ridged backs. A verdant green tongue lashes from the obsidian maw lined with many small and pointy fanged canines. The head of the beastie is an elongated crocodilian like snout, two nostrils at the end, no ears or hair but 4 phosphorescent dark emeralds glitter as they stare intently at their quarry with unblinking, reptilian focus. The gorilla like arms of the quadruped end in a two thumbed and two fingered hand, with one, sickle like claw maliciously curving back towards its palms when it walks on its knuckles. As one the mass rises off of its forearms and stands semi upright like a primitive biped, its long legs featuring a wicked prong jutting from each knee and a massively oversized serrated claw impatiently tapping on the floor, cutting through the ground beneath it like a hot knife through butter. A shiver courses over the thick carapace of all the monsters, the coarse overlapping scales coating it more like the rough bark of a tree than that of any animal with verdant green pulsating through the sliver thin gaps between the plating.

Quickly deducing that they are dealing with a hive mind from the perfect synchronicity displayed between each individual animal, the humanoid combatants prepare themselves for the coming storm. Right then left then right again, in complete harmony with all those around them arms thrust into the air letting loose fireballs hurtling into the sky. Blotting out the sun and the entire sky, the heroes brace themselves in the shade as the flames reach the peak of their ark and accelerate down. Tien and Krillin break formation and spring into the air wafting their hands around them as ki shoots out to intercept all the weak missiles aimed at them. A successful flak laid down by the two humans easily halts the attack of the enemies. The fireballs themselves incinerated into ashes by pure energy. The two diversiform humans land back in their fighting positions around the defensive ring waiting for the next attack.

" It's odd, I only detected one life force on this planet when I Instant Transmissioned us here. Can these things cloak their life force 'cos I still can't detect them and they certainly aren't androids." Goku was never the sharpest knife in the draw but his observation is one that all the others have been pondering on. A single extremely large energy is all they can sense, yet their eyes tell them that there might be a few more than that. The question is how.

" Hmm, I've been thinking the same thing. I have no idea why it's skewing with our ability to sense it … maybe it just reproduced itself asexually en masse, creating a host of clones to battle us." His white cloak now dirtied from the dust blowing in the breeze, Piccolo voices his thoughts on this troublesome matter with the only thing he can think of – asexual reproduction being the way that Namekians breed.

Meanwhile back at a comfortable sofa on Sol 3 the brightest mind in the galaxy thinks over this problem before her. The hypothesis of Piccolo is greatly flawed if what Goku says is true. Replication on such a scale, even if exponential, would take a lot more time than the apparent amount of time by which the large reptilians were spawned. Though a sample of one or a month long study would greatly aid her research into this new species all she has to go on is the audio and video feed coming in at a 10 second delay – which saying they are well over 27,000 light years away (or 8,278.2376 parsecs) is an accomplishment she wished the others would praise her for. Only one virus had she heard of that could replicate at that speed, but scaling up to a complex organism such as this and she decides that reproduction cannot be the reason for the army facing these 15.

" Don't be deceived Piccolo. These are all the same being, I'm sure of it. That faint trace in their ki signature, can't you feel it … these are legion for they are many. Hey Tien, looks like your not the only one to invent the multi form technique and this one seems to have a mastery of it I didn't think was possible." The scientist on the scene proclaims to his Namekian mentor and the others around him.

" Ha! Seems like we're dealing with a bigger fool than Kakarot then. Dividing itself this many times and each individual is not even worth the effort … this is target practise, no not even that, this is a slaughter waiting to happen. Even the women here might be able to take them down, and I was so looking forward to testing my mettle against something worthy." Vegeta drops his guard and leaves the ring, walking towards the centre as does Goku, neither wanting to be part of a battle so beneath them in terms of power.

In spite of the man of their dreams being stood a lot closer to them, it doesn't ease the growing sense of trepidation that Ayeka and Ryoko feel. Looking around them all they see is the multitude of green and black, the glinting claws and glowing eyes. Roshi shares their apprehension knowing himself to be the weakest link in the chain and that being emphasised after the Kamehameha wave he cast that sapped most of his strength.

" Come on guys, what are you waiting for? I say we stick it too them and show these things what we're capable of." With that the husband of 18 launches off into the fray, glancing back at his wife as he does so. Not wanting to be outdone all the others, save the two Saiyans, rush the clawed horrors for their chance of blood or glory against the insurmountable odds. Vegeta's prediction proves to be 100% correct.

The five foot tall father is the first to land a hit on the unlucky individual of the army before him he singled out, this one punch smashes its whole chest cavity and whatever organs were inside it into an amber mush slowly seeping out of its scales. Krillin's other hand raises to the dark sky and traces a quick circle before flinging his Destructo-Disk. It leaves a truly horrific wake behind it of bisected or decapitated abnormalities and a score more of badly mutilated creatures struggling to survive the horrendous amputations the razor sharp ki attack dealt them.

The sounds of battle brings life to the silent planet; cries of the dead and dying grotesques, squeals of pain and from those of Earth only the shouts of their signature moves they are utilising to devastating effect against such insubstantial foes. Gooey, orange sap sticks to Tien's fists as he splays his fingers in front of his third eye for his Solar Flare, needlessly handicapping the already doomed foes he is facing before they meet their quick end. More and more of the amber gloop coats the dust of the battleground. Lucky for Yamcha that his gi is already orange or else the bloodshed he has caused with his wolf fang fists would have dyed any other garment to that colour. His mind not caring about the life juices of those he crushes in his might or how none of them seem to be putting up any attempts of notable resistance bar trying in a futile attempt to block the savage kicks and strikes he lays down on them.

Gohan and Piccolo stand back to back in the midst of the host they came to this barren rock in space to cleanse from existence. Two of Piccolo's fingers are brought down from his head as he shoots out his arm. It stops mere inches from the petrified quadruped before he elongates his arm as if it were made of rubber, his clawed fingers impaling that of the one before him and skewering a dozen more unfortunates. Now his limb resembles more a kebab then an arm before he unleashes the Special Beam Cannon he charged up prior, disintegrating still more of the greatly decreasing numbers of the enemies. Gohan sees this and cricks his neck to the side, not looking at the fiends he calmly raises his left palm and over a hundred beings suddenly erupt in flame. The burning remains of them rain down like embers by a bonfire on the few surviving enemies left. Not wanting to dirty themselves in the bloodbath ensuing below them, the sibling cyborgs rain hellfire down, ki blasts homing and seeking the stragglers out. An extra layer of ashes falls over the sap / blood pooling on the dry ground. Craters, body parts, ruts in the ground and unrecognisable burning fragments is all that is left of the mighty host.

The battle, if it can be called that for it was so one sided, is over. The last body has fallen to the ground, ready for the shifting sands of the desert to take it back from whence it came. It lasted a minute at maximum and proved little challenge to all except for Roshi who, unlike the others, had to duel one on one with each gorilla armed adversary to be assured victory against it. All the fighters are now spread out far and wide across the desolate and battered plains, covered in the unusual gluey gore as a reminder of the massacre they partook in. Separated from one another in their own personal melees and brawls one man's scowl deepens.

" Son, are you blind as well as deaf? Deal with the rest now." The other warriors are too distant and preoccupied to detect what Vegeta and Goku have, the faint and minimal traces of lowered power levels creeping up on their position. Right on cue as soon as Vegeta closes his mouth two dozen more of the fell creatures spring out of the ground and high into the air. Flashes of silver dart across the sky as the unsheathed sword of Trunks makes mincemeat out of half of the surprise attack. Pieces of their dead carcasses splattering to the ground around the two women, still in the throes of surprise as another ten bodies crash down with their skulls caved in. Goten and Trunks resume their position on guard by Ryoko and Ayeka, shamed that they nearly failed their task from such a poor excuse of an ambush.

" Do I have to do everything myself around here?" His patience tested to the limit by his son failing him in such a paltry task assigned to him, Vegeta slowly begins to walk towards the group of 5, away from Goku. Halfway there the last of the savages bursts through solid rock, not two feet away from Ayeka. He doesn't miss a stride, having expected and predicted this, he carries on his way whilst his son and the son of Goku only now realise their grave mistake in presuming all had been dealt with.

Ryoko summons her blade of orange energy and charges, bringing it down hard on the shoulder of the beast before somersaulting backwards and blasting it from the air. One of its arms seems to be unable to move now and dislocated from whatever kind of shoulder it has, otherwise her assault on it is fruitless. Eyes as green as jade fix on the princess quickly summoning her shield as it springs forth; its one working arm stretching wide, its ravenous maw opening and all in a split second it is over.

Tail grabbed, all movement stopped and splattered into a fine brown haze as its body detonates on impact with the ground. Vegeta stands looking disapprovingly at Trunks who is still fiddling with his sword that has managed to get stuck in its leather sheathe due to the adhesive blood of the animals encrusting its blade.

" Kakarot there is no sport to be had here, not with these things whatever they are. I say we blow this planet to pieces from orbit and take up our fight again." Disinterested, Vegeta turns from the women who now owe him their lives. Ayeka looks at him in adulation as she savours the moment the brave prince saved the princess from the monster, just like in all the ballads and bard's tales she heard on Jurai in her youth.

" Come on Vegeta, you know as well as I do that this isn't over yet. We might have defeated all of these multiforms but somehow I can still sense that same single tremendous power I felt when we first came here. Although, I will take the women back if you're that worried about them."

" They wouldn't need to be taken back to my house if some prick didn't think it would be fun for them to tag along. Those seven years of death changed you Kakarot, its not like you to needlessly risk others. … Hmm, you're right though Kakarot, about it not being over. The damned thing's been toying with us, testing us to see our strengths and weaknesses. Maybe there might be some fun to be had here after all." Wiping the fine dust of what was left of the creature that made an attempt on Ayeka's life off of his white gloves, Vegeta surveys the few, the brave and the strong returning back towards him and Goku. The ward of Ryoko and Ayeka steps forward, feeling a bit uneasy from the carnage he witnessed, being a Namekian of peace not war. Dende extends his powers to those who participated in the battle, rejuvenating the very minimal amount of energy lost in the skirmish and healing the few minor scratches sustained by Roshi.

" Hey you two, you don't happen to know where Mr. Popo and Majin Buu are do you?" He doesn't need the additional eye he has to make this observation, Tien seems to be not the only one who has noticed the apparent disappearance of the two portly companions of the party. Alerted to the fact that the caretaker of his gardens is missing in action seems to make Dende alert and apprehensive, eyes darting about and scanning for a sign of the black genie he has grown to depend on.

" They both seem to be nearby and in the same position. The fight must have dragged them further afield. Never seen Popo fight before, it must have been quite something." Piccolo reassures the other member of his race who has taken residency on Earth, thinking back on Kami's memories of the perpetual watcher from the lookout who's memories are now his since they re-joined bodies to become one Namekian.

CRASH! Two large objects strike the ground at Gohan's feet. Inside the first crater is the one who Dende was fretting over, crumpled in a heap unconscious. Buu is splattered all over the second crater, his form not being as solid as that of the others. More amorphous than any solid being should be, he soon begins to wriggle as each separate piece and pool of him flows into one mass before reforming into his preferred shape.

" What the … what the hell is that thing?" Gohan helps Mr. Popo out of the ground and places him carefully beside him as he sees the figure just stood there. Ryoko and Ayeka are petrified looking at this thing, pure malevolence dripping from it. No compassion and no soul, it scans those who have come to challenge it and killed its spawn. Being well over 11 feet tall it dwarfs those expendable sprog it sent against them, its musculature rippling and expansive over its great limbs, nearly bursting through the inch think armour plating of its bark.

" I believe that is the foe we came to face, the foe who's head shall be mounted on my wall. Now the fun begins." Not turning his head, the Prince of all Saiyans is the only one not looking at the great monstrosity as it stretches to its full height, tails cutting through the air and the abyss of its snout unhinging.

" GRRRRAAAAAEEEURGHHHG!" The booming roar rips through its alien throat as green light pulses outwards through its thickened hide turning the very air around it into searing plasma before it bursts through it. Pounding across the distance on all fours, the massive bulk builds up great speed and will soon be upon them.

" This is a job for Saiyan's, you weaklings stay out of our way." Vegeta steps forward, quickly followed by Goku and Gohan. A flash of light later and Gotenks stands beside his other Saiyan brethren prepared for the juggernaut tearing towards them. They exchange a very slight nod between each other as the four extraordinary beings stand their ground, bracing their legs as 'Grah' is almost upon them. His ravenous mouth glistening like the deadest of night, its eyes showing predatory greed, lusting for the taste of their tender flesh.

" KAaaaa …" Goku's hands dart to his side as he charges the first ki attack he ever learnt.

" MEEeeee. .." Gohan follows his father's example as blue light bursts into existence in his palms.

" HAAaaaa …" The fusion warrior child already has a colossal amount of energy charged up for the attack and still Gotenks draws on more staring at the talons of the beast.

" MEEeeee …" For the first time ever the Saiyan not related to Goku through blood joins him for the turtle wave, showing the low class warrior how to properly use this attack.

" HAAAAAA!" As one, all four release their Kamehamehas point blank at the tank-like chest of the ravenous alien. An azure sun lights the arena as it is engulfed in a bright blaze of dazzling energy, all four blasts converging and conjoining to hit it dead centre.

The blast has barely struck it before it lunges out of the explosion like a shadow and hovers high in the night sky, it's dark exterior being the perfect camouflage save for its verdant luminescence. Having leaped clean out of the way of the Kamehameha taking only a slight burn to one of its scales, it watches as the unified wave of energy tears across the landscape before shooting off high into space. The planet loses one of its satellites in that instant. The full force of the Kamehameha's brought unto it, a small reddish brown moon becomes naught but cinders drifting in the vacuum of space.

With the dust on the ground still clearing from their attack, the four Saiyans look up at their enemy as they motion for the others to retreat and find cover knowing what the next move of the brute will be. Hailing down lightning bolts, 'Grah' smites the four below him with the very rudimentary and primitive ki blasts that it can conjure from all four of its skull crushing paws. Fire and brimstone meteors crash into the erect barrier of Vegeta. Bouncing and ricocheting off it like harmless pebbles they continue on their altered trajectory blasting away the rock and ground encompassing the tetrad of omnipotent Saiyans. Apparently the women that have barged into his life might be of some use with the barrier technique of Jurai holding strong against all these ravaging blasts; taking the brunt of it all and draining a miniscule amount of energy to cast.

Naught but a smouldering hole is left beneath them, the shield protecting them but not blocking out gravity so as the rock beneath them disintegrated and was taken by flame so too were they forced to fly. Hands glowing from the heat of its blasts, the beast levitates in the air still, its animalistic mind still trying to work out these most mysterious creatures that have wandered into its territory. Unprepared for aggression against it, Grah is surprised when the shield coalesces and shoots towards it and instinct kicks in as its sickle clawed foot kicks and deflects the energy attack into the stars above.

A Frisbee of death, a guided infernal ball and two beams split the sky as Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha and Krillin charge forward to blindside the enemy who's sole focus was on the Saiyans not the other able bodied brawlers. Their improvised ambush worked better than the trap laid by the hell spawn in the air but still they are left looking at their most powerful techniques hitting it square in the back and it hardly flinching. One lone spine is loosened from its back and falls off of the creature's otherwise intact carapace. The faint thud of its carbonised spine hitting the singed earth snaps something within the creature's mind. It has been injured, it has been hurt and for the first time in its short life it has felt pain … and it does not like it.

Three humans and a Namekian seem to regret drawing the attention of Grah and evoking its wrath. Hissing, its elongated head turns to look at those who dare attack it with its teeth bared. Blood turning to ice under its dreadful stare, the Z warriors born on Earth slowly start to back away whilst not taking their eyes off of the airborne menace. As soon as its body begins to move towards its frozen prey a foot slams into its jaw sending it spiralling down to the boulders below.

Acting to protect his friends from when he was a toddler, Gohan's sturdy leg is firmly outstretched, his poise perfect. In the blink of an eye a talon lashes at his face, having recovered before it hit the ground Grah has rebounded back to take vengeance. Saved by the hint of motion he saw out of the corner of his eye the razor fails to bisect his head yet draws blood all the same. Still recoiling from the speed of the attack, Gohan clutches at his face with one arm whilst he quickly descends and lands by his father and brother. Dende acts immediately and heals the curved slash marring Gohan's face from his little hidey-hole, leaving him with a smooth scar starting from his forehead and curving around the left side of his face and terminating at his chin.

Slowly Grah descends too, its blood starting to yearn for that of a true challenge in the field of battle like that of Saiyans. Snarling and licking its jagged fangs the exterminator of all this planet's life lands on all fours in the middle of all four Saiyans. Such a powerful beast but a mere metre from them, its arms capable of easily lashing out at them. The Saiyans just stand and watch their foe. A maelstrom of sparks and lightning fly from the four as they all ascend to super Saiyan 2 form, their brilliance illuminating the dark and dreary landscape and their blue eyes coldly looking at the green eyes of the monster.

Although an intelligent sentient being, Grah is still a very young mutant beast and like all animals acts violently when both startled and surrounded. SMACK! An elephantine shin appears, cracking Goku in the back of the head with enough force that it was a miracle that decapitation did not occur. The lights in his eyes dim and his hair darkens as the hero of so many battles crumples to the floor. The beast is not dumb, it sought out what it believed to be the strongest of their group and took it down. Grah's hulking form moving with such agility meant that no-one was prepared for such a savage attack, the pure shock that Goku has been taken down in a single blow is still slowly seeping into their skulls as it charges them.

Flabbergasted by the ease in which their father was taken down so easily in his super Saiyan form, Gohan and Gotenks meet the charge of Grah and begin hand to hand combat with it. Whilst their fists fly and meet the bone like defence of the barbarous monstrosity it blocks every one of their moves against it, its bestial mind slowly analysing their moves and fighting style with its four optical orbs. Walking past the raging battle and sidestepping the wildly swinging barbed tails of Grah, Vegeta kneels by his fallen brother in arms and looks at the sorry state he's in.

" I expected more from you Kakarot, if that's all I had to do to defeat you then you would have died years ago … . Why did you not dodge it you fool, you bring shame upon the Saiyan race with that shoddy effort. Looks like this is one fight you'll just have to miss then." Vegeta stands up with Goku's prone form over his shoulder looking on at the way in which Gotenks is fighting, wondering if what he is seeing reflects his son's true power or not. Vegeta vanishes.

Grah has no fear, no notion of what the concept of this emotion is but even if it did the feeling would not be troubling it at all. Struggle as they will to get through its speed and defences, neither Gohan or Gotenks appear to be posing any real threat to it. Any hit they land is by pure chance and damages their hands on the rough exoskeleton more so than the beast. Flailing tails whip past both of their heads drawing their attention as it sends out a wall of ki to both of them, repulsing them down to the ground. Whirlwinds of shimmering gold gust around both Saiyans, charging up to their maximum power before continuing this fight any further. Squinting its beady eyes from such blinding light, Grah is taken unaware from the next combo of blows that hit it from super Saiyan 3 Gotenks.

Over a million miles away Goku's body falls like a ragdoll onto the floorboards, deposited there by Vegeta to make sure his rival won't go and get himself killed by the battle - for that is a pleasure only he will partake in. Job done. he Instant Transmissions back to Grah's planet to re-join the fight. His vanishing form is still fading from the house as Chichi rushes to her collapsed husband, scared to death she might lose him yet again.

Two versus one and for that Grah has lost the upper hand. Even using his tails and jaws the duo still outmatch him. Their speed on par with his but one advantage they have is that which Grah could never hope to replicate, experience. Savage claws rip at the air and kicks designed to eviscerate hapless foes are its specialty yet for all this Grah is in its first battle against things that can match it in terms of power and speed. In a trial by fire, Grah learns which attacks leave it open, the strengths of its opponents and its own limitations but at the cost of a few more cracked and dented scales. Dicing with death, Gotenks' overconfidence nearly ends him on several occasions, dancing away from the attacks flying at him only at the last possible millisecond. Grah is outmatched and being beaten back, injured but most importantly enraged.

Krillin and the rest can only be spectators to the match taking place above their heads, none of them capable of aiding the effort but more likely hindering the half blood Saiyans if they tried. Their eyes are barely able to follow the fast flying limbs of the trio locked in a fight to the death. Vegeta has no thoughts of joining Goku's sprogs, when he fights he fights alone, the only thing left to him is to wait for Grah to best them so his turn can come around. Until then he might as well make himself useful so evacuating the useless plebs staring slack jawed at a level of fighting none of them could ever dream of achieving seems a good a place to start as any.

" You've had your fun so come now, time for you lot to leave before I have to scrape bits of you off the floor." They don't need to be told twice and hurry towards the only man capable of getting them away from certain doom, all but two. Android 17 stops halfway to Vegeta and points into the sky behind him yelling a warning of dire urgency. Grah has knocked back both of his opponents and in the time it took for them to recover it has rocketed off away from them to finish off the easier prey it noticed earlier and never paid back for the hurt caused to it. Blackened claws glisten in the starlight, their keen edges hungry for man flesh and the ever ravenous eyes of Grah lock onto its chosen victim. Unluckily for Grah it chose Vegeta as its starting point, a mistake it won't make again.

Four flashes of light hit Grah as it crashes down into the ground face first, smashing through the rock and eating dirt it lets out a tremendous thundering bellow. Each of its four limbs are locked in place, rings of yellow ki encircling its chunky wrists and shackling it to the very earth it is laid immobilised on. All of the momentum of the beast has been stopped at the feet of Vegeta. Never missing an opportunity to humiliate his foes, he delivers a swift boot to Grah's face knocking out a few knife like teeth before beckoning for the others to hurry to him and to the ones who aren't.

" Look you two, now is not the time for this! Come to me at once! … Fine have it your way then, see if I care." Ryoko and Ayeka don't budge towards him, their minds set to stay with him to whatever end whether he wants them there by his side or not. Vegeta snarls at their stubbornness and is gone, taking with him the outclassed warriors. Drop off complete he doesn't stay on Earth any longer than it takes to break physical contact with those he brought with him in transit and returns to war.

Grah's constraints though powerful suffer from a fatal flaw that Vegeta has never managed to work out and that being they are only as strong as their weakest link, in is case it is the gritty floor they are bolted to. A faint trickle of orange sap spills from the monster's mouth as it rises up to its full height, no longer hindered from its manacles, and sees two tasty morsels kindly left unattended before it. The two brothers failed to notice that Vegeta did not take with him all of the others off of this desolate rock and have to quickly break off their recuperation as they see a flash of obsidian darting towards a pair of women.

The jaws of death open up before Ryoko and Ayeka, the stench of millions dead festering from the black gullet ready to devour them. Their screams are cut off as abruptly as they rose from their throats as teeth slam down and oversized canines grate against each other.

" Now do you see what I mean?! I am trying to save your pitiful lives here and neither one of you is making my job particularly easy. You damn women are going to be the death of me." Vegeta's arms are tensed and are firmly gripping the two barbed tails of Grah, holding firm and stopping the fiend less than half a metre from its quarry. Rancid breath pours onto the two frightened maidens as they live to see another day, Grah's attention turned from the pitifully weak stood in front of him to the irritant grabbing onto him. The two thick trunks of the tails wrap around the proud Saiyan like boa constrictors enveloping a helpless antelope, their abrasive coating peeling off his skin in chunks. Swinging its bulk around, Grah propels itself off the ground and backwards to Vegeta, a wry grin plays across his face.

His well used teeth chomp down and sever one of the tips of the tails encasing him, the gloop that is its blood spilling freely and sending sharp nerve impulses of pain to the former owner of two tails. The loss of a segment of a tail will not do much to deter such a power as Grah but all Vegeta needed was a distraction, something to completely take over the mind of his enemy and that came in the form of sharp pain. Grah is still hurtling towards him over the short distance that is its own body length but now not paying attention to the movements of the Saiyan.

Collapsing onto his back, Vegeta coils his legs and slams them into the hulking mass above him. Both mighty kicks connecting Grah in each broad shoulder. Such a devastating blow would be enough to fell an entire solar system but Vegeta knows its all or nothing against an adversary the likes he has never before had to face. Amethyst light shines from his dusty boots, a split second later the sky is split by two massive beams. Gallick guns, two of them, one fired from each of his feet tear into Grah. Forcing the horror above him up into the heavens at speed, taken with the blasts the hostile creature shoots off unable to escape the ki blasts propulsing it. Whiplash exerts itself on the laid down Saiyan as tails hooked around him are wrenched forth with the rest of the unfortunate Grah, yanked back to his feet Vegeta watches as his perfectly executed plan reaches its finale.

Gohan and Gotenks land by his side watching the pretty fireworks as a moon is drilled clean through and the final explosion disintegrates another three of the planet's now scarce satellites. Nothing but embers and shards of dense minerals drifting in the abyss of space can be seen by the three Saiyans in the aftermath of the Double Gallick Impact. Thankful no large chunks are left as meteors begin to stream into the thin atmosphere of the unnamed and unknown planet far from anywhere anyone has ever mapped or charted in the galaxy.

Ryoko and Ayeka look at their prince, over a third of the skin on his body has been flayed off and great raw chunks of his flesh is exposed. The Saiyan jumpsuit around his arms and legs offering no protection to the jagged scales and the armour scratched with deep grooves. A sharp and sudden roar erupts forth from Vegeta as he increases his power level, ki surging around his body. The raw unbridled power of his heating up his flesh and cauterising his openly bleeding skin. With his wounds dealt with, he turns to face the reasons why he had to resort to such desperate measures.

" Woo! Yeah, alright! We sure showed him, that's what happens when you mess with the mighty Gotenks, hahaha."

" Don't let overconfidence blind you, youth is no excuse for that behaviour. Can you not still feel it? That thing out there is still alive and I'd wager it's not going to go so easy on us anymore. Thanks to Vegeta we might have a little time to prepare before it comes back." Gohan and Gotenks pay no attention to the lone adult Saiyan striding towards his women, they continue to look at the stars and the black night sky waiting for a flash of green to indicate the return of Grah. Charging up their power to the highest levels they have ever attained, Gohan and Gotenks stand in their billowing fire vortexes of golden light.

" No more of your nonsense now, you two are leaving this planet and getting out of my way." Vegeta marches up to them in his battered state, not in the mood for any arguments or ridiculous behaviour that these two women seem so fond of when he is around.

" No, I won't go! I'm not going to leave you alone against that. What if you need me?" Ryoko seems absolute in her decision as does Ayeka who says words to a similar effect.

" This is not open for debate, it was an order not a request! Go, save yourselves. I'll be fine." Snapping at them his form disappears from in front of them. A swift karate chop to the base of their necks yields their minds into the blackness of unconsciousness, unable to argue or put up a fight he grabs them and Instant Transmission back to his home they have taken over. Dumping their prone forms by the feet of the other Z warriors, he heads back not wanting to miss an opportunity to finish his fight with someone worthy of his time and skill.

Out of all the flaming debris of the moons burning up through the pitch black atmosphere one green speck among the hues of red and orange can be made out. Having survived Vegeta with not much damage done to its shoulders or arms, Grah rockets back down to his home planet, hurtling like a bat out of hell to repay the one who dares to stand up and defy its will. A green speck soon becomes an emerald comet, exponentially growing as it approaches closer and closer to where it was blasted out of orbit. One more long sustained roar tears through Vegeta's throat as he pushes his body beyond all mortal limits into the final and most powerful form known in the universe. Standing beside his half son, Vegeta joins him in the super Saiyan three form.

Plummeting towards the ground, Grah's small eyes pick up this large conflagration and light show. Quick thinking on its part, Grah decides to attack well before it can make out the humanoid bodies stood ready to take it down. Lighting the fires in its throat, it gathers energy in its expansive mouth in a ball designed for one thing. Spitting the blazing globe toward the planet below the ki attack soon takes on shape and starts enlarging more and more. For the Saiyans below it is as if daytime had come early but this is no Sun they want to come near them, if that Supernova like sphere impacts then they can wave goodbye to the planet they are on and all hope they have of beating the monstrosity bearing down on them.

Taking the initiative, Vegeta flies off heading on an intercept course to try and stop the planet destroyer before it is too late as Gohan and Gotenks go to put down the bothersome animal once and for all. Muscular arms spread wide, Vegeta grips onto the fiery ball of death in mid-air pushing with all his might against its tremendous power and momentum. Straining against its might he continues to push with every muscle in his body, the gloves on his hands spontaneously combusting and his palms charring as he fights on through the pain yelling. The orb is slowing down, steadily decreasing its speed towards its intended target but it is too little too late as Vegeta has already been pushed onto the ground itself.

Double teaming Grah, Gohan and Gotenks fight for all their worth in the upper atmosphere. Fists flying and feet impacting against the rock hard stomach of the beast. No longer having to contend with the tails of Grah, for both are hanging limply after Vegeta's attack, they can easily breach its defences and start to inflict damage on Grah. This bout is not as one sided as they like however, for every other punch, kick or slam they deal unto Grah they suffer a vicious injury themselves from claws or coarse scales.

The air around him shimmering and ablaze from the great output of power, the prince of all Saiyans continues wrestling to save a planet from destruction for once. Such a powerful attack could never have been deflected away, this was the only course open – that or die with this godforsaken rock. His aura burns around him, lighting up the horizons as it outshines the supernova blast in its intensity. He will not lose to this, he will stand his ground to the bitter end – if only the ground thought the same. Giving away and crumbling into gravel, Vegeta's feet break through the floor beneath him. The very rock itself betraying him, every inch he falls into the planet's crust is another inch closer to certain, inevitable doom.

A sudden yell and he expels a large amount of built up ki to destroy the plains he is sinking further into. The wasteland torn asunder, he hovers at the centre of a crater, a crater that still is not big enough for the attack he is trying to stop which has a slightly larger radius than that of the depression he has made. No time to make amends to his misjudged hole he plunges deeper as the earth swallows him, his only escape blocked by that of the unstoppable and unmovable force. If he tried to enlarge the crater again he runs tha major risk of prematurely detonating the thing pushing against him, that is something he thinks is best avoided if at all possible.

Grah is certainly not going to just lay down and die, despite the insurmountable odds of tackling two super Saiyans at once it is pushing them back. After but only a few moments of being engaged with them its observant mind has adapted to their fighting styles and is now capable of predicting their attacks no longer just reacting to them. They might still have better tactics and fighting abilities but most of their attacks it can't even feel through its thickened hide, protected from any real damage Grah pushes the attack. Gohan and Gotenks have no protection from the death dealing scythes arcing cruelly through the air, Washu's armour being like putting a wet sheet of paper up to stop a bullet.

Scars and blood begin to riddle both Gohan and Gotenks, neither able to back down or retreat due to their Saiyan heritage and for all their trouble most of the damage Grah has sustained is mainly self inflicted. Losing a claw when it stabbed Gohan's bicep with it, Gohan rotated in the air rapidly to dislocate and dislodge the claw from the beast's hand before tearing it from his flesh and stabbing it wherever he could reach. Gohan and Gotenks take any opportunity they see to deflect the remaining claws of the beast back towards itself, piercing it with the only thing that can seemingly injure it. Maybe a few more of its back spines and its left head crest being lost is the total sum of harm dealt by the two sons of Goku, nothing that is in the slightest bit of being life threatening, or even a minor inconvenience, to Grah.

Creating an inconceivable loud bellow out of the sheer frustration that it still hasn't felled the pesky insects troubling it, Grah elbows Gohan, the slower moving of the two, into his younger brother. Spiralling down they slam into the floor but as Gohan gets back to his feet he feels something is terribly wrong. His intuition was right. Behind him, instead of one single entity, two people crawl out of the pit him and Gotenks made. The sands of time have conspired against the fused warrior and back to their original bodies they have gone, Goten and Trunks look at each other understanding the messy situation they are now in.

In their young age it is remarkable that they have attained the super Saiyan transformation, but even that level of super power is dwarfed by that which they have lost in an instant. Drained and exhausted from the fight, both children stumble about, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. What appears to be a grin on the lipless face of the crocodilian snout of Grah stretches its sinister muzzle in disfiguring mirth, only one stands left to oppose it and that being the previously weaker of the two - or three depending on how you look at things.

Bright green pulses faster and faster under the plates coating Grah, burning like currents of magma. Each throb of its building power echoes in the convulsing planet, Grah's green colouring projecting outwards in a shimmering flame encapsulating all of its vast form. Emerald bonfires ignite from its very core, light in a dazzling exhibition of the true power Grah has kept concealed, not in a secret ploy but for it did not know it could tap into such a wealth and bounty of strength.

Not boding well for Gohan, he swallows down his feeling of foreboding and makes one last valiant effort against Grah, throwing everything he has into one punch. Channelling his might and fortitude into those four knuckles of his right hand, his battle cry reaches Grah long after the resounding impact. Gohan manages to land the punishing blow dead centre on Grah's expansive chest yet the agonised scream does not originate from his foe. Coughing up red onto the black and green of Grah, Gohan looks down at the open wound in his stomach. Timed to perfection, Grah allowed itself to be hit so that for a split-second Gohan would be stopped perfectly still when his punch collides and rendered unable to move away. Slamming its knee into the young Saiyan's stomach the large prong fixed onto Grah's patella slid straight through his stomach and is now tickling the spine of Gohan. A growl more akin to a laugh is the last sound Gohan hears when the fangs of Grah crush down on his shoulder, splintering bone and muscle alike before flinging him away like a ragdoll. The violent nature of the throw splits Gohan's abdomen in two. Laying eviscerated on the floor, barely able to keep his vital organs within himself his eyes lose focus and have trouble focusing on the demon prowling closer to finish off the one not long for this world.

His hands blackened and carbonised, the jumpsuit he was wearing melting and fusing to his skin, Vegeta continues to ward off the supernova. His boots scraping through the base of the crater. Millimetres from extinction, Vegeta gives up playing games and gets serious. Quaking the world with shouts of rage as he summons to him all available ki to counteract the supernova of Grah's attack it has long since forgotten about, and for the first time the ball of death stops dead in its tracks.

" BIG BANG ATTAACCKK!" A massive blue bolt of energy collides against the many hued supernova. Vegeta is a master when it comes to ki or energy based attacks and not some amateur like this Grah, his blasts packs one hell of a punch as demonstrated by the supernova being one second about to detonate the planet and the next about to detonate another planet in another far off leg of the galaxy. Vegeta flickers out of the dimple on the face of the planet he is now the saviour of and gathers up his fallen comrades, careful with the delicate state in which Gohan is verging on.

" You've fought well, there is no shame in this defeat. Your part here is done now, leave it to someone who knows what he's doing." Feeling like a taxi service as he lays down three more on his second home planet Vegeta swiftly surveys the company of warriors that of which he the last able to continue. He stands waiting this time to make sure Gohan receives the immediate medical care of Dende and maybe a Senzu bean. It's getting all too much for Chichi, her husband and two beloved sons all fallen in battle and clinging on grimly to their last vestiges of life. Before he leaves, Tien throws a Senzu bean his way and god does he need it. He snaps it in two between his crispy fingers and discards it, returning to Grah with no others to obstruct his fight. Only a coward with no honour would accept such aid mid battle, an affront to his sense of self he would prefer to perish than accept such aid.

The only two beings still left on this heavenly body face each other. A standoff, neither making a move towards the other. Both just watching the other, watching and waiting … waiting for the right moment. Baring their gritted teeth, bracing their legs and tensing their muscles, Vegeta and Grah annihilate a hundred hectares in a heartbeat. Their voices joined in choir, auras radiating off of them to block out the starlight above them and in perfect synchronisation the two fated destroyers raise their power to the max. No floating rocks or crumbling mountains just complete ionisation of all surroundings before, as one, they vanish from all perception.

Islands of rock millions of years in the making shatter, mountains collapse and tumble down and fissures wide enough to engulf nations mar the surface of the whole planet. Such a catastrophic catastrophe as blasts and punches from the two fighters inflict massive devastation to the surroundings, whole continents set ablaze - swallowed whole in infernos. Nuclear warheads would seem like bringing a dull knife to a high calibre rifle duel compared to the mighty explosions dotting the landscape, scarring it to such a degree that even if this planet were to survive for several aeons it would never heal these deep wounds gouging it. Global temperatures rise 10 degrees centigrade over the first second of the fight, which goes unnoticed by the duo of living things left battling it out.

Moving in the hyper-time of faster than light speeds, Vegeta implements every battle technique, strategy or combo of moves he has ever thought of as he exhausts his arsenal against the horror that hardly winces from each attack landed. Blows traded between the two produce huge earthquake causing shockwaves. Mile long tunnels in the planet appear as one fighter then the next is thrown through the ground. Fighting on a different plane all together than anything alive it goes on for hours, dragging on with neither giving into the wounds they receive. With the battle lasting for such an inordinate amount of time Vegeta on several occasions has to instant transmission to the opposite side of the planet and power down. He cannot keep in his super Saiyan 3 form for as long as he needs to. These brief respites are only gifted to him as Grah has no ability to sense ki and nothing but the reek of burning can be smelled upon the air. As soon as he is able to, Vegeta ascends back to super Saiyan three to continue the marathon battle.

The fighters appear back in view, clashing two almighty beams of raw ki: one a brilliant shining gold the other a dark and twisted jade connecting in a blaze of which the universe hasn't witnessed since it first began. Directing such power through his incinerated palms is no mean feat for Vegeta, each molecule of power singes more and more of his ravaged hands but not in a way in which his nerve endings get toasted to the point so that pain is not transmitted. A beam clash is always a difficult position to be in, especially with tremendous pain screaming at you from trying to stop yourself being disintegrated by Grah.

Instant Transmission is Vegeta's only bet to escape Grah's blast, both weakened by the previous fighting but only the Saiyan appears to be handicapped by it. Now suddenly behind the creature a rapid volley of shots fire off into the flanks of Grah. Two knobbly scales fall towards the floor below, revealing more of the horror's vibrant pulsing core. Grah dives, completely unfazed, through the barrage and into the waiting trap laid cunningly for it. The mindless beast charged headlong without thinking through the soot and smoke of the blasts that hit it not suspecting Vegeta would have instant transmissioned again. In the time it takes for the raging Grah's eyes to clear the obscuring vapours it is far too late for it.

Landing on its back and scrabbling over its scaly hide like a rock face as he uses his smaller size against the beast, Vegeta works his way towards the one chink in Grah's armour - the missing scales only just shattering on the cold hard floor. Being grappled from behind Grah goes berserk, bucking and shaking to rid itself of Vegeta. Only when it feels something touching the gaping hole in its side does its actions become frantic, great arms lashing at its back and luckily for Vegeta he took out the use of its tails long ago or he would have a hard time dodging now. One of Vegeta's arms is now by its target and a swift punch takes it into the beast.

" GRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" One of Grah's arms explodes off at the shoulders as Vegeta ejects himself from the rabid monster. The Saiyan did plan on sawing off the limb with a blade made of ki but the other oversized arm of his foe was getting dangerously close to ripping his back into shreds, forced to act on impulse has cost the Saiyan. Not a whole limb so it was still worth it but Vegeta's right hand is a bloody mess, most of the blood not his but the crimson life juice of his is spilling freely from where the explosion he set off cleanly detached three of his fingers. A finger and thumb is no good for making a fist, the arm might as well be useless to him.

An aftermath of feral rage brought on from the searing pain at its shoulder drives Grah into a frenzied rage of unrelenting fury. Reckless slashes and swipes allow Vegeta some room to attack Grah but such an assault is leaving him hard pressed just to keep his head attached. Tapering claws rake his chest and legs where the fatigue of sustaining the super Saiyan 3 transformations gets the better of the prince and soon it is hard to make out either fighter for the gore spattered everywhere and covering them in a thick coat. Blood loss and extreme exhaustion slows down Vegeta and Grah in their epic duel. Punches become sluggish and legs leaden in their movements. Such a battle should have been over in a matter of minutes but it is now entering its sixth hour and neither can retain the pace for much longer.

Their battle drags both down to the ground as the prince and the fiend wrestle. Vegeta's good arm is holding back the gnashing mandibles from mauling his face whilst his wounded hand is left with the Herculean task of keeping back the one healthy arm Grah has at its disposal. Muscles taught and feet digging into the ground, Vegeta head-butts Grah's neck hoping that maybe there is a slim chance it has a vital organ there or something to be destroyed. Pounding away as they both stand unmoving Vegeta's sight blurs and he immediately discontinues his futile attack which had a higher likelihood of concussion than success. Blood drips from his ruined forehead into his grim eyes focused on one thing alone.

Such an annoyance as the one person it can't overpower has to be dealt with, Grah utilises one lone foot and turns the tide of battle in its favour. Vegeta's calf was not ready for a foot long spike to be rammed into it, the foot claw of Grah severing tendons and muscles as it rips its way clean through the flesh of his leg. Clean as a butcher's slice, Vegeta's calf hangs on by a whisper of a thread, copious amounts of sanguine flowing out of him. Precious drops he cannot afford to lose soiling the floor. A fit of blind rage engulfs Vegeta, still interlocked with Grah he once again turns the air into explosive plasma. Searing both injured parties flesh and wounds but consequently wiping out a humongous chunk of the dying world.

A simple lesson in geography for Vegeta arrives at the wrong time – when a massive hole is created in a planet it usually leads to a volcanic eruption. Lava spurts and spews forth from beneath the wrestling pair, that is until one of them suffers a severe misfortune. Burning magma splashes onto the Saiyan's mutilated back, boiling the flesh from his bones, giving off a smell that only seems to arouse Grah's hunger to beat Vegeta more. Slowly being roasted alive, unable to rid himself of the lava for if he were to let go Grah would be upon him and it would be game over. Such pain, pain of which he has dealt with before but not all at once: lost digits on his hand, innumerable scratches, scars and deep lacerations, his calf severed from his tibia, hands burned and flayed to the point which they don't even work and to top it all off lava melting its way onto his spine.

It all becomes too much for a single man to bear and for just a fraction of a second his mind forgets the battle and all it knows is the world of pain it has been dunked head first into. Screaming in the throes of his tormented and tortured body, he fails to retain a hold on the opening jaws of death. A sweet deliverance awaits him at the end of the tunnel that is its mouth, a light. A bright glowing crimson light growing as it comes to greet him. The second supernova blast of Grah this time does not fail in hitting its target, and in that moment the battle is decided.

Fired at point blank range there is no time to dodge and blocking it would be pointless, having used up most of his energy neither is a physical possibility – he is spent. Taken with the blast the last remnants of Washu's ineffective armour enkindle and flare out of existence. The ball of malevolent power detonates, Grah stands victorious at the very edge of the world. Over two thirds of the remaining planet was devoured in the single explosion of that ki blast, the globular core of the planet empties itself and the atmosphere dissipates as the gravity of the planet lessens dramatically. What's left of Grah's world is in flames and the rest is naught but cinders plaguing the void of nothingness, a shallow victory if there ever was one. Ready to embrace what must be down and set off into the stars on a voyage of discovery and eradication, Grah spots something which troubles it.

Flickering out of existence a miniscule bubble of azure light dies in the distance, having been previously shielded from view by the mammoth pieces of debris falling off of the crumbling world. Smouldering in the distance Vegeta Instant Transmissions back onto terra firma, his destroyed body collapsing into the dirt. Dust and ash seeps into the wounds that litter his prone form, harsh stinging adding to his mind already overloaded with terrible pain. He has nothing left to give. Every ounce of energy has been sapped from him and he can no longer keep himself in super Saiyan 3, debilitated from how much it has sapped at his enormous reserves of strength. The only patches of skin he has left on his desecrated and scorched lumps of flesh are on the left hand side of his face. A face that has only one blind eye, the other evaporated instantly along with his nose, ears and most of his cheeks leaving scarred and smoking pits where those features should be. Lungs seared from temperatures that would melt any known metal rasp as ragged shallow breaths tear into his body, the simple act of staying alive now a more challenging fight then staving off Grah an hour ago. His heart beats bloodily and in plain sight with his pectoral muscles gone and rib cage exposed to the open air. A leg and an arm incinerated to stumps, left only with the arm ruined from his previous attack on the beast and a leg with all its bones shattered and broken, he is abandoned with not much hope in defending himself. He lays on the ground, alone and dying.

Out in the distance he senses the one who did this to him, he cannot see it or hear it for both of those senses are now wrenched from him along with their sensory organs. Slowly lumbering towards its downed prey, Grah approaches, prowling with the patience of a guaranteed kill. Predatorily stalking until Vegeta will give up the ghost and then be consumed into the belly of the beast. No longer bleeding out with all his scars and wounds now horrible burns, Vegeta waits in resignation for his fate … or so Grah thinks.

In a flare of crimson flames, Vegeta proves to Grah he is not dead yet and won't go quietly into the night. A garbled mess of words that might have been Kaioken are shouted by Vegeta as he spirals into his final assault. Grah was not expecting this, no-one would have expected an attack from someone in that mutilated state and so Grah had powered down on his way to the spoils of victory. The extremity that was a foot crashes into the right side of Grah's chest, staggering it backwards as Vegeta deals with the consequences of his kick that he is counting on. Such force of the impact into a broken limb sends lightning bolts of pain shooting through him as it pushes a shard of his tibia through his shattered knee, an improvised blade for an improvised attack.

Bending his knees then jerking it to the side he slices open the throat of Grah, bright viscous amber spilling out. His one arm smacks the beast's head to the side and somersaulting in mid-air he brings down his fragmented weapon down sharply between the four eyes of his foe. Phasing through the huge beast he Instant Transmits repeatedly to stab at the thing that dare to challenge his strength. Holes and punctures maculate Grah before one final kick tries to sever the beasts head clean from its shoulders.

The leg slams ineffectually into Grah, having recovered from the initial attack it is ready now to end Vegeta, darting back at speeds that the prince can no longer replicate. Teeth rip into his midriff rupturing the few vital organs he had left, crunching through the spine of the Saiyan listening to the sound it makes and savouring it– like dry crackers being stepped on. Flinging away the defeated Saiyan into the closest rock-face, smashing entombed in the solid wall of the mountain Vegeta is too weak and weary to pry himself out to freedom. Struggling to stay conscious, the pain from before being diminished but only as all nerve signals from his lower half have ceased due to paralysation. Vegeta's body starts to shut down one cell at a time, no longer able to support its existence. Facing his foe, he welcomes another end to his wretched life.

Groaning as the last dregs of being dead to the world empty out of her waking head, Ryoko rouses herself, her neck protesting against looking about the room. It appears she was placed down on the sofa next to Ayeka who was also forcibly evicted from Vegeta's side and awakening. Everyone appears to be in the room transfixed by a screen to the side of Ryoko, even Chichi seems to be paying more attention to it as she cuddles and comforts the still unconscious Goku. The first Saiyan on Earth isn't the only one getting attention from his loved one with Videl fussing over Gohan, a terrible scar racing down his abdomen as if he were gutted like a fish. Although Videl seems more upset about the disfiguring flaw on Gohan's face than the one that nearly ended him.

Following their eyes, the two women turn gently to face the television screen to see what all the fuss is about. One camera is left transmitting but is no longer attached to any armour, having been separated from it for quite a while, it lays in just the right position to see the final outcome. At first it's hard to make out, they can see Grah stood and slowly walking somewhere with one of its gorilla like arms gone and copious amounts of blood openly oozing from many wounds but there is some other person there as well. They struggle for a few seconds trying to identify this close to death man, his body mangled and maimed in every sense of the word yet one feature still remains. A cold sense of dread chills them to the bones upon seeing the raven black spiked hair still standing proud and tall over the ebonised and ravaged face of Vegeta.

" Are you two feeling Ok, I don't think he hit you too hard but … well there's nothing we can do now. Only Goku here could take us back to the planet, but that goof is still out cold. I'm sorry." Yamcha approaches the two women seeing the open distress and dismay blatantly displayed on their faces. He wishes he could forget the things he saw on that screen, no-one, not even someone who has a heart and soul as black as the proud prince, deserves the punishment he has endured. Trying to comfort the trembling Ayeka, he puts his hand gently on her shoulder.

" NO! He's wrong, he needs me! I have to help him." Ryoko teleports out of the house, out of the solar system and inadvertently bringing the two people that had a physical link to her – Ayeka and Yamcha – along for the ride with her. Immediately arriving back on the crumbling remains of Grah's homeworld in plain sight of the reckoner of the planet, its four eyes fix onto them ready for more sport to entertain it as it crouches and laps up a pool of red. Ayeka was not expecting teleportation or prepared herself for the nauseating experience, the all too familiar sensation of her stomach upheaving in protest rooting her to the spot. Ryoko's only sole focus is the blind Saiyan slowly turning his head to face the three he has sensed returning to the planet, a harsh rasp escaping from his throat could be anything, an undistinguishable noise– a warning, a plea or a shout of fury.

Taking the one shot he has, the only warrior left rushes into the blindside of Grah. Yamcha's signature wolf fang fist savagely beats at the softened up beast, his fingers and knuckles flaying to the bone with each strike that slams into his foe. The wounded demon has no time for such petty things. With one swipe of its remaining arm Yamcha's left leg is swiftly demolished into a pulpy mess, the same leg that all those years ago was snapped in two by Tien. Sprawling in the dust, downed and writhing holding onto the annihilated limb, Yamcha is forced to watch as Grah bears down on his other defenceless prey. Grah will leave the wolf warrior there for dessert after he has finished the main course.

In the short span of time that Yamcha managed to buy for them both Ryoko and Ayeka have hurriedly rushed to Vegeta's side to prise him out of the boulders imprisoning him. Coughing up bright crimson from his lungs drowning in his own blood, Vegeta struggles to speak. Every breath he takes is harder than the last, his voice box charred to a crisp. Giving up on the common form of communication, Vegeta switches to telepathy to speak directly into the minds of the women fruitlessly trying to save his life.

" Go. … Leave me here and…and save yourselves." This brief message is about all he can manage to get out as he tries to shrug them off, the humiliation of such weaklings being required to help him grating nearly as much as the all encompassing pain lighting up his body like flares from their slightest touch. His Saiyan sense is tingling, Grah is on the move again and at speed. Fed up of being messed about by these invaders of its planet and hungry for the taste of their sweet meat the monster charges on all threes, looking fairly comical as it tries to learn how to sprint with a missing limb. The galloping sound of its claws tearing up the ground alert the two space faring women to the beast bearing down on them. They will not shy away or cower in terror like last time, this time they will stand and give their lives if necessary if it has the slightest glimmer of hope at saving the life of the man they love.

Bright cerulean shimmers into existence, a barrier of the highest magnitude to try and deter or slow down Grah. Glowing like the sun, a red hot sword sparks into life ready to slay the beast. Both women stand ready and prepared for their final stand as Grah crouches into a leap, flying high into the air towards its quarry. Standing fast they ready themselves as their fates are sealed, a large black shadow looming over them and engulfing them into darkness. The air begins to fizz in front of them as a figure appears before them, hovering off of the ground with his useless leg limply flopping beneath him. Swinging back his one surviving hand into the best fist he can make out of it he roars at the top of the lungs as he brings it crashing down into the beast not ready for him.

"You stay the hell away from them!" Vegeta shouts, although to others it doesn't sound like that as he can no longer form words properly.

Both Grah and Vegeta are too slow to react to the speed of the other and wallop into each other, smashing the floor beneath them. Grah's form is pounced on top of this most worthy adversary, yet one thing is not right. Vegeta's last ditch effort has paid off. Jaws clamp down onto the fist shoved down the gullet of Grah, grasping onto the tongue tasting his cooked flesh. Pinned to the floor, Vegeta's lips would break into a smirk if they hadn't been fried. Swirling mists of yellow, gold and bronze encapsulate the downed Saiyan as he once again takes up the mantle of Super Saiyan, reducing the amount of energy he has to stay alive with drastically.

" Kraagraahtru." Grah utters its first and last word.

" . .INAA HIINE A-ACK!" Complementing the beasts colour of choice perfectly, a green shot explodes through Grah. Its jaws and skull detonating with an almighty bang, rending it apart until just the Saiyan's hand is left next to a charred orange stump of a thick neck. A fresh coat of amber sap drips onto Vegeta as his arm flops down to his side, all his energy expended. Resting his head on the hard cold stones he tries to catch his breath as anaerobic respiration will only let you survive for so long. The broken man waits, trying to recuperate as his hair and eyes transition back to their natural colouration.

It's dead. Grah is dead. They can't believe it, he has done it. Ecstatic with joy, Ayeka and Ryoko rush to the brimstone smelling body of Vegeta to congratulate him and stop him from dying. Gleefully running towards him, uncaring about the fact that they are on a failing planet quickly losing its atmosphere or how far beyond any help Vegeta is they sprint as fast as their legs can carry them to be with him. Yamcha has managed to get up, flying slowly and steadily to keep the weight off of his mangled leg with every slight movement reminding him why he should leave the fighting to Saiyans.

" AAAAARRGHH." Digging into the gaping open wound of his chest are the talons of Grah, decapitation not hindering its pursuit of vengeance on Vegeta. Lungs and heart punctured again and again, ribs snapped like twigs to penetrate and impale yet more of his organs. Still more crimson life juice squirts out of Vegeta, not much remaining in him and were it not for the third degree burns sealing up most of his wounds then he would be a desiccated husk. Pistons rising and falling, rising and falling, pushing him beyond the brink. Coughing up blood and gore to try and purge his flooded lungs, the prince sees that he won't get out that easily. Fatally wounded, he accepts what he has to do. Yamcha and the women freeze, immobilised in horror and shock as the Saiyan continues his battle for survival.

" YAMCHA! … Get those two far away from here now. I'm going to make sure this ends here and it won't be pretty. Go! Fly to safety and make sure they go." Echoing in the bandit's mind is Vegeta's voice calling from his telepathic powers again. Vegeta's mouth quivering in desperation, he is only able to express his hurt in garbled gurgling and his blinded eye staring blankly at the stars. Grabbing the women forcefully before they blindly carry on towards Vegeta, Yamcha jets off to the only horizon left to him that isn't the edge of the world. Getting further and further away, distancing himself from what is to come as the two interlocked foes become a tiny speck.

" Go …" Rebounding in their minds, Vegeta continues to contact the trio now far away from his soon to be defunct form.

" NO! I won't leave you. I- I'll take you back to the green dude and he can heal you, you'll see it'll all be OK." Ryoko is desperate, she opened her heart to someone for the first time in her long life and to have it cruelly snatched away from her before it could blossom into something magical and wondrous is destroying her.

" My body is beyond repair … the strings tying me to life are frayed and only a single strand remains. I am dying, there is nothing for Dende to heal only a few parts of my brain are still clinging to life. I accept this warriors death, the honour of dying in such a battle is how I have always wanted to die. … This time I have succeeded in vanquishing my foe before my death and for that I couldn't ask for more. I go unto my fate again, damnation eternal… .Stay strong the two of you." His quiet communique is steadily getting more and more hushed and muted.

" A-Ayeka would you do me the honour of forsaking your wish with the dragonballs to bring me back. … I need to come back, for my son and – and for you lot." To her alone does he send this message, her heart openly weeping. Too young to have experienced any heartache or grief before, this first time is torturing her tender soul.

" Ryoko, I owe this victory to you. What you did was reckless and headstrong … I would have done the same exact thing. I thank you." As a space pirate she should be accustomed to death but this cuts too close, ripping open her heart with claws of sorrow.

" Yamcha we never saw eye to eye but as you are Trunks' godfather and so I have to task you with watching over my son whilst I am … indisposed. Tell him … tell him I was always proud to call him my son … and don't let these two or Washu burn down my house." The imminent death of a fellow Z-warrior doesn't move Yamcha that much, he knows that death is always something they have to deal with and Vegeta was partially responsible for his first death anyway.

" Vegeta! VEGETAAAAA! Let me go, he needs me. Vegeta!" Ryoko kicks viciously at the damaged leg of Yamcha. Somehow through the spasm of agony shooting through his body he continues to hold on as stars dot his vision, that is until Ryoko simply phases straight through his arm and flies at top speed back to her prince. Ayeka is still in his clutches, unable to escape as she observes what happens next.

Teeth gritted in a smile stretching from ear to ear thanks to his lack of cheeks or flesh his burnt face cracks as it contorts its stiffened leather into a grimace. He has one finger left on his one working appendage, the middle finger. Flipping the birdie to the writhing headless thing still stabbing at his chest cavity he belches out as much blood as he can for his final words. A small pinpoint of bright white appearing on his fingertip.

" Yippee-ki-ay, MOTHERFUCKER !" A white pillar of light shines forth from his finger, a technique Nappa used to destroy a city – the volcano explosion. Engulfed in a brilliant white light, both he and the creature are set ablaze by the life force energy of Vegeta he has sacrificed to detonate himself for a second time. Ashen faced, Ryoko and Ayeka stare at where Vegeta was but now is just a column of brilliance shooting upwards, an attack Vegeta would have scoffed at the day before as nothing but to the two entwined in its midst it is potent enough to do the job. Despair settles its heavy burden on the two as the attack ends and the last smoking crater to disfigure the planet billows cremated flesh into the sky.

At ground zero Ryoko lands and Ayeka is dropped off by the air bound Yamcha to see the results of the day of fighting. Flaming chunks of scale and solidified amber rain down out of the sky, yet go unnoticed. Having already been burned all over before setting off his final attack Vegeta's body is closer to fossilisation at this point, all flesh gone and what remains is little more than incinerated bones and a head. His head is basically all that he managed to protect of himself, but without a body his brain is not long before it shuts down completely. Ayeka hunches over and falls to her knees. Her breathing becomes heavy and laboured as she braces her arms against her legs. She vomits. Tears drip down the romantic rivals' faces, such anguish gripping their hearts as they look on at the remains of who they met just a few days ago but has had such a big impact on them. A faint whisper in the ether, a small echo of an echo … the quiet whisper of the damned.

" I go now unto my fathers … in the company of women I have come to l-" Vegeta's spirit disembarks, cast off into the afterlife and delivered unto its fate. Death cutting him off mid sentence. Grief is now the only sound being heard, open heartbroken mourning silencing the rumbles and groans as the planet enters its final throes. Yamcha gives Ryoko and Ayeka a minute out of respect, yet he cannot afford to wait any longer; without Ryoko he has no chance of getting home and he does not like the prospect of asphyxiating when all the oxygen drifts away from the dying planet. He once again puts his hand on Ayeka's trembling shoulder. This time though she lashes out at the touch slapping it away from her, trying to turn her hurt into an easier to deal with emotion and failing as she sinks back into despair. Retracting his arm, he hovers backwards looking at the magma pouring out of the planet's core into the blackness.

" It's time for us to leave." Yamcha's quiet words go ignored, they don't care for what he says despite it pertaining to their certain death if they don't act quickly.

" Ryoko, it's time for us to return. You are the only one who can teleport and do this." More force in his tone, Yamcha tries to emphasise the importance of haste. All Ryoko does in response is to face away, her silvery cyan fringe shadowing her stricken face, salty rivers flowing from her eyes. Ayeka continues to struggle with the emotions welling up and bursting from her.

" T-this is all your fault! I-if it w-weren't f-for you then h-he would still be … still be a-alive!" Ayeka's tears stream down her face openly as she converts her excess sadness into wrath and rage, wanting to have a scapegoat to blame. Ryoko's sobs become louder wails still, cut deep by the accusations of the princess.

" Hey now, that is out of order. That's crossing the line Ayeka. Her actions are probably the only thing that gave Vegeta the opportunity to kill that thing and die at peace with himself." The spiteful glare of the emotionally distressed and broken down princess tries to whittle him down, she can't deal with people arguing with her, not now in such a delicate state.

" H-how dare you speak like that to the high princess of Jurai!" Ayeka is snapping, her mind not being able to handle the dreadful situation she is forced to deal with. The desert bandit looks unimpressed at such a childish outburst and bends down to inspect his leg, it looks nasty and the blood is darkening and congealing so he decides to reset it. Painfully cracking and sliding the splinters and slithers of bone into what might roughly resemble the position they should be in he looks back up to Ayeka.

" Vegeta was just like that when he first came to Earth." Ayeka falters, looking as though he had just slapped her across the face. Her hysterics stop and she sinks back into the overwhelming melancholy holding tight on her heart.

" This planet hasn't got much long left, I would say 5 minutes max and then you don't have to worry anymore for we'll be joining Vegeta. Ryoko we have to go now!" Yamcha hobbles in a twisted limp, turning around Ryoko and pulling Ayeka with him as he tries to snap some sense into them. The she-pirate raises her head with her lips quivering as she closes her eyes, trying to forget the sight of Vegeta in his final seconds. A memory she will never be allowed to forget. Yamcha's words are making her think, her mind warped by grief contemplating staying on the planet. If she stays then she might be able to see him in the afterlife ... FFPT.

Chichi mothers and awkwardly attempts to comfort Trunks, a child distraught and devastated at the loss of his father, now orphaned by fate. He could hardly deal with the death of his mother and now with this thrust onto him so suddenly and unexpectedly he badly needs the loving care of an adult. PFFT. The trio returns. Ayeka slumps down onto her knees and Ryoko quickly vanishes off out of the house to be alone. Trunks sees Yamcha stood their on his own, the perfect target to unleash such things a child should not have to contend with at his age.

" Why didn't you save him?! WHY?! Why …" Trunks rushes Yamcha, weakly pounding at his stomach through wet eyes wanting an answer to the roll of the dice he has received from life. Absently Yamcha scratches the locks of hair on the back of his head looking down at the bereaved one now in his care, feeling some slight guilt on his part that if he were stronger maybe it could have been prevented.

" … Compared to Saiyans whatever strength I have is insignificant. Look what happened when I tried to intervene, there was no way I could have done anything to save your father. I'm sorry, he was a good and brave warrior." At the mention of his wound Dende comes over to fulfil his duty by mending and healing the leg, showing some signs that the large amount of healing he has had to administer today is taking its toll on him.

" I'm sorry Trunks, even if I were there I could not have aided Vegeta. That single blow that it landed on Goku shattered his spinal column, ribcage and caused severe haemorrhaging … the injuries your father sustained and still managed to keep on fighting astound me." Dende then leaves Yamcha and Trunks to go back and stand by Mr. Popo, ready for this day to end. Little Sasami runs up to her sister and hugs her tightly, both needing the warmth of each other to stave off the cold sorrow yearning to tear them to pieces. The adventure is now over and such an ugly aftermath left in its wake cause the warriors decide it is time for them to leave this house who's owner has passed on.

Goku, Chichi, Gohan, Goten and Videl head out as one, disappearing as soon as they leave the doorway. A grim shadow hangs over Goku knowing he is once again the last survivor of his race and if he had not humiliated himself with such an embarrassing defeat his friend might still be here. Popo and Dende hop onto the magic carpet parked on the turf by the entranceway to the household also vanishing into thin air, returning back to the lookout to pick up the perpetual job of looking over the Earth. The young family of Krillin, 18 and Marron start to fly off to Kame island before stopping as Krillin remembers Roshi who is running after them and picks him up so as not to leave him behind unable to get home. Piccolo and 17 both go their separate nomadic ways off to nowhere in particular leaving just one person left to say goodbye to.

" I wish it were under better circumstances but goodbye buddy. See ya 'round some other time Ok. Oh, say hi to Launch for me. Bye mate." Yamcha waves off Tien after a firm handshake, with the tag-along Chiaotzu following in the triclops' wake.

Sighing, Yamcha steps into the accommodation he will now have to look after in the stead of the deceased. Looking around at the hurt that today's mission caused he rub his temples. The universe was saved and it only cost one life, but is that ever a price that should be paid. A huddled group of Washu with the other youngsters are sat on the sofa, the cushions of it swiftly becoming damp from the salty waters of sadness. The soft sounds of Washu attempting to stifle her anguish and stay strong for the children who need her mix with those of the mewling cry of the cabbit.

The two women who's feelings have been affected the hardest, bar Trunks, are outside. The elegant form of Ayeka stood staring into the depths of the lake, reflecting on her true feelings and the heartbreak which makes the waters look as shallow as a dried up puddle. She stoops to drink some of the waters and remove the foul taste of bile from her mouth. As she brings her head closer to the lake's surface she glimpses a sparkle shining off of a small piece of red glass: a broken fragment from the scouter Washu made. The princess thrashes at the water to remove the memories this sight is bringing with it, she sinks to the floor with her head in her hands. Ryoko is perched on top of the roof, holding her knees close to herself; hiding her head in her thighs to stop anyone seeing the woe contorting her face. He wouldn't have wanted her to be seen like this. He would have despised any show of weakness such as this, which just makes it worse for her, knowing he would disapprove of her behaviour. In the end she was too scared to go through with it, the fear of death and what is beyond its shadowy veil drove her to return to his house and live on. She will live and wait whilst he journeys in the afterlife alone.

" Well, this is going to be a long month." With that Yamcha closes the door to leave the women to their own devices. He'll fetch his things later, but for now he knows he can't leave the household in this state. A dark night to follow a dark day descends unnoticed. A similar darkness begins to nestle in the women's bleeding hearts.


	8. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 8: Day 9 and 24

Chapter 8

An inhuman growl rises and echoes throughout the house, swiftly transforming into a grunt of major discomfort. It carves through the iron curtain of silence that has deadened this habitation for the past day. A full cycle of the Sun has done nothing to impede the burgeoning of despair and depression. A day in which only one person seemed to be active, going about his business as per usual – or as usual as it ever gets around these parts. Shipping the meagre amount of possessions he has over to where he shall now have to call home as steward until the rightful owner returns from his travels beyond the veil was all he did, and all anyone did.

He rises forth from a sleepless and restless night who's fault lies entirely on the preferences of that whom the bed belongs to. A mattress like bricks tempered with reinforced steel draped with such a flimsy and worn out duvet that it took the sleeper half of the night trying to get comfortable before giving up and resigning himself over to the fact that a good night's rest will not be had by him. His back clicks loudly and uncaring as it tries to recover from what it had to endure.

Brushing back his shaggy thatch of pitch-dark hair out of his face, Yamcha opens his eyes to the second day after Vegeta's death and such a day that seems wholly fitting for the mood of the other residents. Cracking the calloused knuckles of his gnarled hands, he flings back the curtains to survey what the world has in store for him on this dreary day. Thick grey mists have drifted down from the mountains and hills, formed from the transpiration of the many deciduous trees in the forests growing up the foothills of said mountains. The basin of the lake has been altogether veiled by the blanket of moisture hanging heavy this morning, the Sun's rays bearing down on it but doing little to disturb the shrouding fog.

Turning back from the window, the reformed bandit rummages through his bag of clothes, living out of a suitcase as unpacking his belongings into this room seems too much of an invasion. Another one of his orange training gis will have to do. Tying the blue belt tight and making sure it's nice and secure, Yamcha leaves Vegeta's room and goes down the noiseless corridor. No sounds come from either Ayeka or Ryoko's rooms, neither door having been opened since _it_ happened. Padding down the stairs, finally he hears some life in this dead house and the tempting aroma of food wafting towards his quivering nostrils.

Humming to herself and in a world of her own, Sasami carries on her household activities and duties seemingly oblivious to the affliction of bereavement that has stricken all the other females of the house. Setting up a small little breakfast for herself and for any others who have woken up at the same time as this early bird she continues to busy herself around the kitchen. A sincere smile as she turns to see Yamcha leaning in the doorway observing her cook such delicacies that grace his stomach far from as often as he would like. Hungry like the wolf, he goes over to the happy child and helps her with the last few steps of preparing food and carries over the dishes onto the table for her.

" Wow, this looks amazing Sasami. I'm sure glad you're around 'cos I truly am an awful cook and Puar can testify for that. I wouldn't want you working yourself too hard though, but it's a good job Bulma equipped this house with those nanobots things to do the other chores. I remember her when she was inventing these, that was back in the days when me and her were together and we had no idea what Saiyans were. Simple times." Yamcha and Sasami sit down and breakfast together, their moods not affected or dulled by the surrounding bleakness.

Two balls of fluff streak round the corner and dart around the table legs, one blue and the other brown. The two cat-like creatures engage in the playful antics of a game of chase, with Puar's ability to fly giving him a slight edge over the land based method of travel that Ryo-ohki is forced to use unless she transforms into a spaceship – which thankfully she hasn't done yet. Darting back and forth in-between the chairs and legs of Yamcha and Sasami they merrily scamper around as the human and Juraian finish off their food before the critters tire of their antics and settle down.

" Hey Yamcha." The blue cat-like transformer hovers up next to his long time pal, floating over his shoulder as Ryo-ohki bounds onto the table meowing loudly at a bowl on the table. Yamcha looks over at the bowl of orange root vegetables.

" Hey there Puar, glad to see you've made a friend. So … is this what you want Ryo-ohki?" Lifting up one of the carrots from the bowl, the desert raider looks at the cabbit. The pleading eyes, pricked up ears and stare fixed on the vegetable dangling from his grasp is enough for him to deduce the will of Ryo-ohki. Dropping the carrot onto the table in front of the overjoyed brown fur ball, watching as she pounces on the defenceless taproot viciously. Nothing is left of it, stalk and all has gone down the gullet of the content herbivore.

" I didn't know you and Trunks' mom were boyfriend and girlfriend, what went wrong?" Sasami's childish inquisitiveness is getting the better of her and Yamcha thinks how he has asked himself that same question so many times over the years. Scratching his messy hair, he turns casually to look to Puar for a little help to find him gone chasing Ryo-ohki again. Taking a deep breath he says the first thing that pops into his head.

" Oh well y'know, it uh … well it was silly adult stuff." Totally winging it he is so relieved that Sasami actually bought that lame answer.

" Hmm, Ayeka talks about those quite a lot. Wonder what's so special about being a grown up." Sasami leaves him with that as she stands up having finished eating as her busybody self starts clearing up and getting ready to wash the pots and pans. Leaning back on his chair, Yamcha thinks to himself how he just dodged a bullet when the other child of the house silently steps into the room. Not announcing himself, Trunks sits down at the far end of the table and stares at the food set before him. His Saiyan appetite deserted him the same time his parents did.

" How you doing champ?" Acting as a semi-responsible guardian, Yamcha tries to initiate conversation with the withdrawn youth. Simply shrugging Trunks doesn't acknowledge him. Merely messing with the food on his plate, stirring it in endless circles, the kid ignores Yamcha.

" If you'd like we could pop into the training chamber for a nice little bit of sparring, aye? Come on, I know how much you Saiyans enjoy your fisticuffs so whaddya say?" Without a word Trunks abruptly stands and leaves the room, marching off having not touched any of his breakfast. Shaking his head Yamcha looks over at Sasami with a look on his face saying 'well I tried'.

" God he just won't let me in, can you believe he's still going to school even though I told him I'd let him bunk off? I lost my parents too at a young age … I know what he's going through. It's not something someone should have to deal with alone like I did, just me and the wolves of the desert … it was meeting Puar really that got me through." Watching the anthropomorphic being flying past the doorway, Yamcha opens himself up to his locked away past. The long years of sand and the life of a highwayman – harsh times where all he cared about was getting food to make it through and survive to the next day.

" Sasami be honest with me here, how do you think Trunks is doing?"

" Umm well, I don't know. I think he's managing because he knows that Vegeta will be wished back by the dragonballs and that he's gone to a better place." Yamcha can only hazard a weak attempt at a smile at that last statement, he can't correct her and break this misconception she has that damnation eternal wasn't the only thing waiting for him beyond the grave.

" Well, less than 30 days and then this nightmare will all be over. Give me a shout if either Ryoko or Ayeka come out of their rooms … they look as though they've been hit harder than Trunks from it." Sasami nods at him, agreeing to the favour he has asked of her as he stands up and ambles his way out of the kitchen. Pausing to check his bearings in the unfamiliar house he finds his way to the living room – embarrassingly only a few feet down the hallway. A sound stops him on his way to the training chamber.

Creaking open by a sliver, long, delicate hands pop around the door and gently push it fully open. Turning around to see who it is, Yamcha watches as the figure steps forth from the shadows of her pocket dimension. His jaw drops as this perfect figure of a woman steps in front of him. His eyes start at he feet and work their way up, absorbing every facet of her. Long slender legs that go all the way up balancing a gorgeous hourglass figure, pink locks flowing down past her slim waistline and those deep emerald eyes.

" Why hey there babe, I don't believe I've had the pleasure … .Wait, … WASHU! Wh-What?! B-but how? Have you been in the hyperbolic time chamber or something?" Alarm bells are ringing in Yamcha's head, he might have just made a move on her accidently and although it would be a good twist of fortune to steal one of Vegeta's women from him it would also be incredibly dangerous. Panicking and confused as to why her body is now that of a woman in her prime not some scrawny schoolgirl, he looks about for an escape route.

" Teehee, oh stop it you. My you know how to make a girl blush. Well since you asked so politely I guess I can tell you, I can alter my age on a whim but pray tell what is a hyperbolic time chamber?" Giggling from the way he was checking her out she steps closer to him in an unabashed manner. Feeling very awkward and uncomfortable when the bandit is usually so confident around those of the opposite sex, he doesn't know where to look with her just there so close to him.

" It, uh, was an interdimensional thingy room on Kami's lookout which we all trained in before the Cell games. A year in the room is only a day in the real world but unfortunately it was lost in the fight with Majin Buu. I was just about to go and have a look around and test out this wonderful training chamber I've heard so much about, you made it didn't you?" His flattery does not go amiss and she finds it so relieving for someone to actually notice her hard work and not threaten her life.

" Time dilation, hmm interesting. Wouldn't that cause accelerated aging though?" Somehow Washu managed to say that without a hint of irony.

" Yep, got an added two years onto myself doing that, but what can you do? Maybe sometime I might start to need some of that age control myself but there's still life in this old dog yet." Leaving her now and ending the conversation, he walks towards the source of Vegeta's power, the room in which he uses to push his body to the limits. Two doors close as he enters the training room Washu creeps off back into her laboratory, switching on a set of monitors. Flicking through the clutter of background programmes she brings up the feeds from the monitoring equipment.

" Looks like I've found myself a nice new guinea pig to play with, hehe. … Well so far looks pretty normal, but with the company he keeps I bet he's got a few surprises up his sleeves." Mumbling to herself she observes his actions as he investigates this most curious room he has found himself in. Twirling one of the red tresses of her hair, her mind analyses every single nuance and motion he makes, performing such stupendous calculations as she tries to measure his power and strength to that of his predecessor.

" Hey, I bet with this thing I could overtake Krillin. I don't know much about stuff like this but I'd have to say Washu's done a pretty good job … nearly as pretty as herself." Yamcha obliviously says this not realising that Washu can overhear every single word he says whilst he pumps the 10 tonne weights for a few minutes before his eyes get distracted by the buttons on the main console. 50Gs seems a good starting point for a warm up as he punches in the commands and limbers up, stretching his arms and legs before continuing with exercising for another strenuous hour and then another.

The seconds continue to slowly tick by for Washu who believes she now has a 93% accurate estimate of what Yamcha is capable of from his activities. If she had seen strength, speed and stamina the likes of this a fortnight earlier then it would have shocked her but now it's belittled by the powerhouse that was Vegeta. Still he seems to be outclassing that of the many other warriors she has seen in her years in the final frontiers of space. Swivelling around with her long magenta hair whipping round, she goes off to check the progress on one of the hundreds of other research projects she has been simultaneously working on.

Rubbing the sheen of sweat dripping from his face on his forearm, the wolf warrior has reached his limit and exits the training chamber to rest his exhausted mind and body. Thankfully finding he has the living room to himself he wearily trudges to the sofa before flopping down into its comfortable cushions, relieving his feet of his weight as he carefully kicks them up on the table not wanting to knock over the photo of the happy family before death swept down to do his business. Telekinesis is the lazy man's greatest tool and with a flick of his hand the T.V bursts into life, the remote flies into his hand and the opening and closing of the fridge door can be heard coming from the kitchen. A cool can of beer gently slides into his second open palm. Both hands occupied, he opens it with his teeth before chugging down half of its contents in one large gulp.

As the refreshing alcoholic beverage quenches his thirst he begins his quest for a decent channel to watch whilst he relaxes and runs into one of the main problems of being such a high calibre fighter. With reflexes and his nervous system's speed honed to such a mind boggling degree he suffers from seeing most things at a slower pace than those of an average Joe, even when not powered up. The constant stream of the screen in front of him becoming just a bunch of images being flashed up one after another, not seamlessly blending into motion. Finally something interests him, a sports programme displaying the latest results.

He drains the last dregs of his beer and vaporises the can in his clenching fist. Turning off the T.V in frustration, his baseball team The Taitans have not managed to turn around their long running losing streak and yet again have made a mockery of themselves in front of everyone. Vacating his seat with the faint stench of charred metal following him he heads up the stairs to check on Ayeka and Ryoko. Maybe disturbing them is a bad idea, giving them some space and time would seem rational yet with nothing to do in this house with naught but Sasami and two animals for company he takes the risk of proceeding. Stood in-between both of their doors he listens to the all encompassing silence, more haunting then any of the most anguished wails of grief.

Not able to choose which he visits first he decides on the third option, both. He has spent enough time training with his rival Tien to have picked up a few tricks and so a multi-form of Yamcha splits him into two separate beings. Knocking on both doors simultaneously he receives the same echoing response of nothingness, a few minutes drag on and he has long since given up the hope that they will answer his rapping knuckles. Reforming back into a single organism he exhales a long sigh and heads back the way he came.

" Spending a month in a house full of beautiful women definitely sounded like my kind of fun. Who knew it could be so much of a hassle and chore, and it's just my luck that as always they have their hearts set on the prince of all Saiyans than Yamcha." Talking to himself he stirs up the bitter feelings he has always held. The seeds of resentment of how the man responsible for his own death and the loss of so many other lives was the one who stole from him the one most precious to him. He could only stand and watch as his chances for his dream of being a husband were washed down the gutter.

Feeling sorry for himself and in a self loathing kind-of mood he goes back to train, heading over to the control panel he didn't fully investigate earlier to see a few controls that pique his interest. Intrigued, he presses an assortment of buttons labelled under simulation, each button named after something he clearly remembers from the recent past. The machine begins to hum and purr as it warms its cogs and turbines up, the super computers of its core booting up to obey the input commands.

Startled by the room around him fizzing into non existence he hovers in nothingness searching around him for the door leading back into normality that has been replaced by blackness. The world around him begins to fade back but this time it is not what he was expecting, an endless open expanse of water below him stretching on from horizon to horizon. A green ocean of a planet he has never visited has spawned 2 feet below him and it isn't the only thing his button mashing has, the main console is still next to him floating in mid-air but he wants to see how this will turn out now.

Towering before him is a white devil. Horns, tail and the ability to wipe out planets because he can is Frieza in his second form. A bulk of white and purple staring maliciously down at the ragtag man inspecting what he can only hazard a guess at being a faithful reconstruction – having only seen Mecha-Frieza and King Cold it seems closer to the latter than the tyrannical son. A grin is exchanged as both feel confident before the other as the waters below them boil and froth, forced back away from the power growing and emanating from them in a dazzling light show.

So it begins. After over a decade of waiting Yamcha gets to test his mettle against the dreaded Lord Frieza, well if a little kid could do it so could he. The depths of the ocean open up beneath them as they become blazes of white, flashes of pure light darting this way and that. Fists become meteors tearing through the sky at faces and torsos, kicks slice through the air leaving vacuums in their wake and yet neither opponent has landed a blow past the other's defences. Block after block and dodge after dodge they continue slogging it out across the miles of open water evaporating in their wake. Yamcha's building confidence is crushed like his larynx when the flailing tail of the galactic oppressor latches around his throat, rendering him defenceless as he struggles to remove the force stopping him from breathing. He experiences the force of Frieza first hand.

Pummelling his stomach and midriff area mercilessly Frieza lands innumerable punches into the hardened abs of Yamcha, his muscles may be rock hard but his organs within are still as soft and squishy as when he was born and are not faring as well. Bashed and knocked around his stomach and kidneys rupture inside with a great tearing, yielding a howl of agony as the relentless assault continues. The front of his gi has been pulverised into atoms showing the raw wound of his bleeding gut staining his trousers a dark hue. The alien laughs pitifully and manically, delighting in the pain derived from the onslaught.

The tail locked around him won't budge, every millisecond it stays on him is another one without his precious oxygen. Relinquishing his hold on the caudal appendage, he channels his might into an attack that has a higher probability of working than clawing at the thick trunk around his neck. Delivering a high kick to the proud chin wipes the smile clean off the ruler of the known universe, so too does the follow-through Kamehameha he unleashes into the surprised face. The tail quickly withdraws as Frieza grabs at his bleeding face disfigured from the blast, a black horn hanging loosely gives up the ghost and splashes into the tempest waters below.

Not wanting to waste a golden opportunity, with his foe distracted by the unexpected ki blast he returns the favour of the pain bestowed unto him tenfold. Through vision blurred from purple blood flowing into its eyes the despot gets but a glimpse of a shadow: of a rabid wolf pouncing on the frightened rabbit petrified in the spotlights of the burning shards of rubies that are the wolf's eyes. Inflamed with the fury of retribution, Yamcha exacts his payback with the longest and most complex Wolf Fang Fist he has ever attempted, each blow more reckless and savage than the last. Punches designed to maim and snap bone crash into the thick white chest plates of Frieza, cracking the purple segment embedded in the natural armour. More and more vindictive strikes rain down until purple mars most of the previously pristine white, plated skin of Frieza.

Slamming the open jaws of the wolf into the stomach of the ruler brings him to his knees and Yamcha dashes backwards to recuperate from the tiring attack. Staggered, stunned and angry at being injured by such a scruffy, low life wretch Frieza growls. Composure frayed from such an affront to his title as most powerful being Frieza quick draws his hand, flashing out a barrage of dozens of death beams at Yamcha's position. He ricochets them back with his palm except one, that last one was just too much for him to bear. It broke through the ki he had channelled into his hands and struck its mark true. Holding his arms out extended to deflect the fatal lasers only worsens the fact that one of the penetrating beams hit. Boring through the base of his palm and burrowing all the way through his forearm and upper arm before bursting through his incinerated shoulder blade the death beam shoots off into the distance.

Yamcha's vision dances in front of him as he fights off shock, a smoking hole scorched through his whole right arm. A feeble attempt to move his incapacitated limb nearly pushes him into unconsciousness, the wound having hardened on the inside into a solid cauterised tunnel, uncompromising in its rigid state. The three points of articulation rendered useless like the whole limb, he squints through the pain as Frieza still recovering from his earlier attack. The son of King Cold flies up higher and higher into the sky till the monster is a mote against the blue sky.

" You filthy swine! You dare to attack Lord Frieza! I will end you, now time to die!" Frieza summons forth a black and maroon crackling orb of terrible power above his head and one remaining spiked horn.

" Oh yeah! Well two can play at that game. Take this, Spirit ball!" Pitching aloft the curveball in an arcing motion he has practised for many years, just in his right not left arm which he is now forced to use instead, Yamcha retaliates. Focusing his will into the ki attack he has rarely had the opportunity to use, it tears straight on an intercept course for the planet destroyer rushing towards him. The concussive force as the two globes meet in the sky clears the whole stadium of water, the sea thrown into droplets glistening as the duo of new stars rage to push the other back. The tussle between blasts is not going in Yamcha's favour but he never planned on winning this by force alone, he has a plan.

Losing ground the spirit ball is being engulfed slowly by the larger more powerful ball of ki, he cannot hold his own against Frieza in this aspect. Cackles of assured victory drift on the gusting winds from the white lord proving to Yamcha only that his foe is assured enough that he is no longer paying full attention to the battle. With that the Z warrior takes the initiative and utilises the main feature of his technique that differs it from most others.

Spiralling off to the side, Yamcha waves his left hand sharply to the right and then upwards, directing his Spirit ball out of the path of the fireball and into open air. Swerving out of the way of the incoming attack moving in a linear motion, his Spirit ball rockets straight for Frieza in a zigzag response corresponding to Yamcha's gesticulating fingers. Flying straight and true in the final sprint, the baron of barbarity's eyes widen as he notices that overconfidence is a crippling weakness and that energy balls may be closer than they appear. Mercilessly Yamcha remotely controls his sui generis past all of the fancy footwork and aerial manoeuvres his foe tries to pull off and in for the kill.

The orb zips to and fro with each pass clobbering into Frieza's back, chest, shoulders and forehead, detonating with every impact. Angling away for a final descent the Spirit ball propels itself unto the enemy it has finished toying with, careening into Lord Frieza's ugly mug with the force to pound his highness in a straight cast route into the depths of the high seas. Tsunami sized waves fill up the gaping hole left by Frieza, swallowing him into the deep blue as serenity returns to the ocean. Beads of the fine mist of water drift back down as Yamcha hovers panting, drooping lower and closer to the swell placating back down to a millpond.

Grunting as smoke simmers from the passage running from hand to shoulder, Yamcha growls through clenched teeth as he cracks the cauterised inside of his arm. Curling his bicep towards him he watches blood freely gush from his stigmata and trickle down his near hollow arm. Spilling into the waters beneath him his blood leaves a trail of vivid red pooling behind his progress towards the main console. His progress hampered by the large amount of energy drained from him in such a close fight, he senses a disturbance and doubles his pace towards the console.

Bubbles rise in great columns turning the ocean once again into a seething mass, flashes of light illuminating a shape in the deep. Yamcha's ki sensing abilities tell him that he hasn't seen the last of Frieza and that his power is growing at a rate which surpasses any which the bandit could ever hope to overcome. Dashing the last few feet, he turns to see a long, elongated, xenomorphic head break the surface, rotating to face the one trying to escape. A pair of glimmering beams shoot from the dark eyes bursting out of the waves in the direction of Yamcha who's hand is now slamming down hard on the large red button marked 'OFF'.

" Ok, I think I'm done here." Turning ,he watches the lasers dissipate along with Frieza as metal walls and flooring replace the boundless arena. A doorway to the outside world beckons to him. Tearing two strips from the hem of his gi he wraps a very crude bandage around his openly bleeding wounds, the pressure biting into his flesh but ceasing a bit of the flow of crimson oozing out. Testing out his damaged limb causes great aggravation within, he migrates out of the chamber. Emptiness greets him. Drips sprinkle the floor following Yamcha, a mixture of both blood, sweat but no tears pursuing his path up the creaking stairs to his temporary room. Along the mute corridor he walks, each step taking more effort then the last. Dragging his feet as he pushes the door open, the last dregs of energy spatter onto the floor. His body worn out, his knees turn to jelly and fail at supporting his torso. Tumbling into a face plant his thick skull cracks the floorboards. Passed out on the floor with not a living soul in earshot to hear his fall and no-one to care about him or his well being, darkness takes him.

A feathery pillow beneath his head, snuggly blankets tucked around him and fresh dressing around his treated cavity, Yamcha wakes with a pomegranate hair fluttering down onto his face and tickling his nose. Twitching his nose side to side to remove the irritant, he resorts to wafting at it with his hand, his right hand. Realising too late he expects bolts of pain to torture him but nothing comes. In the space of the anti-climax he looks at his palm to see freshly knitted flesh not a scorched pit. Siting up Yamcha pushes the blanket off of him and springs to his feet, trying to work out how he ended up on the bed when he can clearly see the dent from where he passed out marking the wood. Flexing each finger of his healed hand then the wrist he grins at the miraculous recovery wondering if maybe Vegeta had a stock of Senzu beans around the house someone fed him. The how doesn't concern him as he stoops to pick up the lone hair from the floor where it drifted down to, it's the who that does.

Inspecting it he sniffs the follicle recognising the scent of the owner. Nodding to himself he lets it fall and with newfound energy goes for his most prized possession. The whetted blade of his Liuyedao, a weapon he has had with him since his first chance meeting with Goku and years before that as well. Unsheathing to meet the shining silver he runs its edge against his arm in the age old test to find that years of not seeing daylight has left it blunt and unable to leave a mark on his coarse hairs. Not having any tools or grindstone ,the improviser opens the wide window and jumps out of the house, bending his knees into a roll to perfectly land his graceful descent. Rapping the hilt against the floor as he walks to the water's edge, he starts looking for a good shaped stone. A large, flat flint catches his eyes as he picks it out of the lake and grips his sword firmly before setting to work.

Stoning complete with a single pass of the whetstone on each side of the blade he launches the whittled down rock, skimming it the full length of the entire lake in a half a dozen bounces off of the water's surface. With a swipe of his sword a branch falls out of a tree, a branch 500 metres away followed by many others unlucky enough to be caught in the path of the random slash. Swordsmanship was always second to him after bare fist fighting and his skills in it have diminished further with it being such an impracticality now with the Liuyedao not being able to hold up if he used his full strength, in a fight it would shatter into fragments in the first cleaving motion he made. Passing the time, he hones his long lost abilities in the art of swordplay for fun and to while away the hours as there's nothing better to do in this wilderness retreat.

His activities outside continue well into the afternoon: stabbing, cutting, slicing and parrying he stands alone as he has gotten used to. Sasami did ask whether he wanted any food but he declined, not wanting to interrupt his fencing for his metabolism does not require the mountain of food that Vegeta's does. Shadows start to lengthen and the one under his aegis returns, touching down from his day at school. Trunks doesn't look at Yamcha, he simply slings his rucksack off of his shoulders and drags it into the house he is quickly disappearing into.

" Yo, Trunks!" Yamcha again attempts in vain to grasp the son that could have been his' attention. The bitter mood of Trunks' melancholy leaves him in no mood for this ragamuffin as his step doesn't falter in advance through the threshold.

" Hey, come on Trunks. I bet you've never had a proper swordfight with anyone before. You bring down your sword and we can play, how's that sound eh? A bit of sparring with Yamcha?"

" … Why? … Why would I want to do that? Give me one reason why? My father's right about you, you're weak and the weak aren't worth anybody's time. I surpassed you when I was still wearing nappies so what's the point in training with you?" A response is elicited from Trunks. Not what Yamcha was hoping for, taking offense at the sad but true words reminding him of his place, but it's progress. With Trunks talking and stopped in the doorway, Yamcha tries to coax more out of the grieving child.

" Well what have you got to lose then? If you're so sure you're going to win then bring it, … or are you chicken?" Several swear words would have followed this challenge if Yamcha had the time to speak, but in the time it takes for the instantly enraged Trunks to take up the gauntlet and charge him his mouth simply hangs. Not ready at all for this and completely unprepared for a battle against a Saiyan, Yamcha's sword is swept from his arm and it is all he can do to try and block the worst of the angry attacks befalling him. Disarmed and badly beaten and bruised, he is knocked to the ground again and again. Time after time after time he gets back up, not surrendering to the child he should be in control of, all it gets him though is another walloping. Struggling to his feet weakly, Yamcha looks into the cold eyes of the youth stood over him and a sense of foreboding washes over him when he sees the hue of the child's eyes begin to change.

Anchored in place he is ready to accept defeat as lavender hair turns blonde. Blue eyes staring straight through him, uncaring who he is just that he is there to act as an outlet for all the accumulated emotion built up in the small, young body. The earth beneath the grass cracking with each step of his tiny feet. A diminutive fist raises above the stood-on-end hair, a killing blow ready to put down the old dog. At its peak height the clenched hand stops before it falls and stays there.

The only other two humanoids up and about bar Trunks and the defeated man stand fast and firm, blocking Trunks from his victim. Having rushed out of the house as soon as they saw the two begin to duke it out, they have arrived just in the knick of time to prevent a second travesty from striking the household. The fight broken up, the juvenile stands there fist still in the air, just staring blankly in the direction of the downed man not seeing him or what could have come to pass. Purple hair falls down around his ears as he turns to continue on his way back into the house, forgetting about his little encounter. Sasami follows the powered down other of her age whilst Washu looks down at the battered bandit.

" Quite a sorry state you've gotten yourself into, tsk-tsk, what am I to do with you?" Washu offers her fair hand to help up Yamcha who's meaty hands look grotesque next to her manicured fingers. Gripping tightly she aids him up to his feet, wobbling and staggering she begins to lead him back inside. His heavy weight leaning on her for support bothering her and pulls her down.

" You Ok? I've got medical equipment and supplies in my lab so let's go and get you patched up-"

" Like earlier? … D-don't think" – cough- " don't think I didn't know it was you. Back to your place then?" A wry smile plays across his bleeding and bruised face below his swollen eyes and broken nose. She stops and looks at him playfully.

" Of course I knew you knew that it was me, what kind of genius would I be if I didn't? Thought you would have learnt your lesson though, twice in one day, I bet you only got in that fight so you could spend some more time with me didn't you?" They smile at each other as they walk through the doorway into her own private dimension. This being the first time Yamcha has seen the inside of this not so much a room more a world, he struggles to comprehend his surroundings through squinted eyes and a possible concussion. Gawping as he looks around this place of technological wonder, seeing such unimaginable marvels on his short tour towards her high tech surgery room.

Arriving at their destination she props Yamcha up against one of her desks as she busies herself setting up the room: flicking on monitors, gathering equipment, turning on machines and pressing a button that rotates one of the large vertical slabs in the middle of the room around its central axis so it lays horizontally at waist level. Directing him towards it he anxiously looks at the bulky rings of an unknown metal that apparently is where he has to place his limbs and head. Carefully easing himself down onto the slab, he shuffles his limbs into the correct position. Still eyeing the restraints by his neck uneasily as Washu sets to work repairing his punished body once again. Meticulously tinkering and healing each contusion and laceration, setting and fusing broken bones and regenerating damaged tissue the scientist deals with her patient quickly and in under a minute he's as good as new.

" Now if you'd just like to stay there for a few more minutes I'd like to run some harmless routine tests on you, you're the first human I've had a chance to experi- study." Grinning she gives him no time to argue as she attaches electrodes and multitudes of other probes and measuring devices to his exposed skin.

" Uh, Ok? Umm what kind of tests?"

" Oh nothing special so stop worrying: basic biomedical profiling, brain mapping, interdimensional energy mapping, blood analysis and of course I'll be comparing all of these results with those I gathered from Vegeta. You don't mind if I use you to compare differences between that of your species and Saiyans?"

" Oh great, I've always wanted someone to prove beyond any doubt how much stronger and better he is than me"

" Lighten up, you're still the best specimen of your species for my research. You are in the top elite when it comes to raw power and don't have any mutations like a third eye or anything to skew my results. Why so serious all of a sudden? Whilst I splice these DNA samples tell me how you got those scars, none of my databanks have any information on them." Yamcha frowns, confused at the mention of her already having a large collection of data around his person and mulls it over in his mind. He has only told one other person the origin of these things disfiguring his face but he can't see the harm in opening up to her, it's no great secret.

" Promise you won't laugh, I didn't get these from any heroic battle or massive fight. I … I… well you see, you know Puar … well he really hates it when you try and give him a bath. As you can see it didn't go too well for me and after that I left him to manage his own personal hygiene." Serious and deadpan he relates to her the tale that he normally litters with lies of bravado when picking up girls but she hears the truth. She hears the truth and bursts into a guffaw of giggles, betraying her promise not to laugh to him though he knew this was going to happen for the exact same thing happened when he revealed the story of his face to Bulma. He raises an eyebrow and questions her for a change, she is learning everything about him so it only seems fair.

" Yeah you laugh it up, at least its good to see someone here smiling except Sasami. Now I suppose you know why I never tell anyone stuff about my past, just because I'm a warrior doesn't mean every single aspect of my life will be sung from atop high walls y'know. Just why aren't you moping around like Ryoko and Ayeka though? On the day you seemed pretty downbeat and I didn't see you at all yesterday so what's the deal?"

" I might be a scientist but I still have a heart, of course I was upset that he died. He didn't deserve that and I didn't get to finish collating data on his anatomy. More importantly though unlike those miserable saps I don't see the light shining out of his derriere, he's just another, challenging, test subject. A month without him, that time will blink past in an instant. Compared to how long I've lived that's next to nothing."

" I'm not gonna fall for that trap, I have a bit of experience under my belt and I know full well never to ask a beautiful young lady her age."

" Young? Ha, you truly have no idea do you. I suppose with a body like this you would never know that in terms of your Earth years I have passed well over my 20,000th year." She savours the look on his face. The sheer shock of such an astoundingly high number being her true age, she makes Roshi look like a new-born tot - surpassing all of Earth's recorded history with a twenty millennia past. Holding a scalpel in one hand she leans in close over the incredulous prone figure at her mercy.

" T-T-twenty thousand?! Wow that's a lo-" The cutting instrument lowers till it is pressed against his chest, glinting in the dim lighting maliciously. A bead of sweat forms and rolls down Yamcha's cheek as he stops what he is saying. " W-what I, uh, really meant to say was … t-that you look very good, no extremely beautiful for a woman of your age. Wait! No, nonono I-I didn't mean it like that, just … in general you are good looking. I mean I thought you were young enough to be my daughter or something y'know." Washu's eyes soften and she smiles at him as if she were only messing around. Standing back up she walks towards another of her desks full of equipment hidden from Yamcha's obscured view who is currently counting his blessings and not paying attention to what she is doing. Snap! She stretches on a pair of latex gloves and releases them so they spring back against her flesh making a loud sound.

" I have one teensy little favour to ask of you. You see, there was one sample that I couldn't obtain from Vegeta and I was just wondering if you'd help me out in that respect." Puzzled, he slowly nods at her, not too sure what he's getting himself into now.

" Well sure Ok I'll help ya. What is it that you need me to do?"

" Oh nothing, just stay still and leave the rest to me … I'm the one qualified to perform this, hehe" Her emerald eyes gleaming as they dart across his body and then to a control panel materialising out of the ether, grinning wickedly she presses the lone button as an inanimate object springs to life. The restraints hanging loosely around Yamcha's prone form begin to shrink and stiffen causing a visage of abject horror to play across his face. Laughing manically at her cunningly laid trap springing into action she wrings her hands together, flexing her magic fingers as she cackles at the ceiling like the true mad scientist she is.

" Hahahahahaha, you're all mine now and there isn't anything you can … . Where the hell did you go?!" Returning her gaze to the now empty obsidian slab alarm bells ring in her head, yet another has escaped from her fool proof shackles. She only took her eyes off of him for a split second and the restraints are still there and in one piece so …

" Hey what do you think you're playing at? The hell is with the bondage all of a sudden?" He is stood right behind her, his reflexes saving him as he is now fully healed, she is cursing the way that she gave him the means to escape. Slowly turning around she meekly looks at him, the smile gone from her face.

" I was hoping you wouldn't do that. Can't we just pretend this never happened?"

" How about no? Why were you trying to restrain me? I gave you my consent to get this sample you wanted so you could have just taken it. Go ahead, get it over and done with, retrieve this sample of yours." Hounding her and not dropping the subject, her cheeks begin to blush and her eyes drop to her ruby coloured shoes.

" Umm, well I was after a very … particular sample and I thought you might refuse so I thought that what I did would be the best way to be certain I got it."

" Hell I don't care what the sample is. Come on is it blood, hair, skin … memories? I won't put up a fight over it, I gave you my word so spit it out already." Pestering her with further questions her skin turns a deeper shade than her hair as she timidly shakes her head trying to raise her eyes to look him in the face.

" No it's none of those things. It's …i-it's a sperm sample I was trying to collect." She looks him in the eye, deeply embarrassed and feeling very uncomfortable. Shifting under his gaze he doesn't break eye contact or bat an eyelid at what she says, just folds his arms.

" I've given samples like that before but never have I been forcibly tied down for it. I don't want to know if that's how they did it on your planet but things are different here, I'll be checking back later. See ya." Vanishing from sight he disappears from Washu's realm leaving her still stood there. Disappointed by the turn of events, she slumps her shoulders and trudges off to clear away what she had gotten out in preparation.

The onset of dusk encroaches on the land, plummeting the household into the limbo state of twilight before falling into the black of night. Not a sound can be heard, Sasami has gone to sleep as it is approaching her bed time. Ayeka barely noticed her sister entering the room, the pleas of her sister to move away from the window she has been staring out of all day fall on deaf ears. From her viewpoint the princess can see Ryo-uh her ship beside the lake, it is gathering moss now but all that is hidden from her now it is night-time and the world is shadow. Colours fade from her view as the sun descends behind the mountains but all colour has already departed fro her world. Her hairs hangs unadorned and loose, her royal head crest laying abandoned by her bedside cabinet and a simple black kimono reflects her mood. An unblinking stare devoid of happiness or joy, her heart a Pandora's box of joylessness for amidst all the despair and dejection lies a faint sparkle of hope. That one hope that death for him is not permanent and that all she has to do is wait and wait for him she shall. A lonely vigil for heartbroken princess.

Ryoko's mood hasn't lifted either despite her best efforts to drown them away, drinking herself into a stupor by consuming every last drop of alcohol she bought with his money. No joy is to be found for her at the bottom of any of the many empty bottles scattered haphazardly across her room. The effects of the drinks is nothing to her, she can purify the toxins within her bloodstream with a thought, trying to reach a cold oblivion of numbness she fails as every time she nears it she hears his last words echoing in her mind. Why couldn't he hang on for just a little bit longer, not knowing the last word is torturing her as is the guilt she has settled upon her shoulders. Ryoko blames herself for his death, her actions caused him to act rashly and led to Grah pinning him down. But then Vegeta thanked her for it. Awash with confliction she balances on the brink of madness, holding on desperately for his return to her open arms.

Walking down the hallway from the room of the one that Ryoko and Ayeka's hearts painfully yearn for, Yamcha carries a small, sealed, opaque container. Jogging down the stairs with the item clutched in his hands he knocks on Washu's door, tapping his foot impatiently as he waits for it to swing open of its own accord allowing him to enter her domain. Glancing around as he steps inside for the fair maiden of intellect he spots her in a far off corner with her fingers whizzing over multiple keyboards. Traversing the distance at a speed which negates travel time he patiently waits behind Washu for her to finish what she is typing. Rotating round in her chair to face the vagabond, she is startled when a small object bounces onto her lap. Curious she picks up the jar and holds it up to her face inspecting it, shaking it gently she hears a faint sloshing sound coming from inside which only exaggerates her inquisitiveness.

" What have you brought me ? Is it a gift of some sort?" Washu is still trying to deduce the contents of the container based on the audio clues from the sound it makes when agitated and is about to resort to opening the lid when Yamcha speaks up.

" It's what you asked for earlier, you know the sample of my-"

" What?! You are actually freely giving this to me just like that?" Her hand has frozen in place on top of the lid, not wanting to open it now she has knowledge on its contents, her face reddening by the slapdash and carefree way in which he handed this 'gift' to her. Hesitantly placing the jar down on a nearby workbench, she turns to see Yamcha has turned around and back on his way out again.

" Wait, Yamcha!" She calls out to him and rushes off of her hovering cushion towards him before he can disappear. He stops when he hears her shout his name and looks back to find her stood beside him holding her hands behind her back. " Where do you think you're off to, I- I've got one little experiment I'd like to try out now." Washu smiles slightly as she sees the confusion rise up in his eyes again.

" Experiment? What kind 'cos it's getting late and I just gave you the - " She embraces him and kisses him gently on the lips, stopping him speaking. He looks down at her, a look of timid hope on her face and he smiles before returning the favour as they sink into one another with Washu getting a conclusive positive result from her experiment.

As Yamcha and Washu cure each others loneliness something else occurs at the exact same time. A white booted man in a blue sleeveless jumpsuit stands with his arms crossed, impatiently waiting in this oversized reception. Streams of fire and desecration litter the long walkway leading up to the check-in station and a mountainous red ogre looks disapprovingly at the man stood before him. King Yemma proceeds to begin the judgement of Vegeta's soul.

" You've got some nerve showing up her like that. This isn't the check-in station for your place of death and … well, you certainly made an entrance. It's as if you want to be punished, you're only making it worse for yourself." The thundering tones of the bearded judge boom out, his normal routine of intimidation having no effect on the deceased Saiyan.

" Shut up fool, your threats are meaningless. How is it possibly to have a fate worse than eternal damnation in hell? Now before I do to you as I did to all those pathetic souls outside, tell me the way to where Bulma is." Raising an outstretched palm emanating a brilliant yellow light of pent up energy he shows these aren't idle threats.

" You killed millions of innocent souls on the way here, blasted your way to the front of the queue, threaten my life and expect me to help you find paradise? Be off with you. I don't need to show you the way to the infernal realm." Yemma's answer greatly displeases Vegeta, a harsh snarl escaping from his clenched teeth as the ball of energy in his grasp grows in response and with relation to his anger.

" I will not be so close and have this taken from me. Let me see her NOW! Pray to your impotent managers you see sense or I'll tear this whole afterlife to pieces."

" Goodbye Vegeta. I had hoped you would change but you are too set in your ways. I hereby condemn you to hell." Yemma slams down his hammer, sentencing Vegeta. Enraged beyond belief the prince releases the blast only to have it dissipate in the air. Like a wisp of smoke his hands and arms begin to vanish before his eyes, eyes that join the rest of his body taken from him. Left as a soul, blind and deaf to all, he is sent unto his fate. The pain of a thousand sons without fathers, parents forced to bury their own children, lovers separated by death, all their hurt caused by his actions finally has its retribution as he languishes in the Stygian abyss alone. The torture of his very soul begins.

Chapter 8 Part 2

Opening into a great cavernous chasm drawing in air, Yamcha yawns and stretches his left arm and legs. With his muscles and mind now slowly waking he sits up and finds out why his right arm was unable to move, curled up by his side fast asleep is Washu. This is a sight he could get used to. Enjoying the peaceful moment he watches her silently and smiles content with his life. After several minutes of doing nothing he is itching to get up and be active, ready for this new day. Not wanting to wake up the sleeping beauty, he attempts to subtly move his right arm but a whole night of her laying on top of it has caused it to fall asleep and is no longer responding to his nervous system in the slightest. Hindered by his useless limb he spends a good quarter of an hour slowly easing his arm out from underneath her who keeps him company during the long and lonely nights.

Freed, he leaps out of bed massaging life back into his arm until the intensifying tingling sensation of pins and needles eventually dies down and it begins to operate the same as his other arm. Casually flinging on a vest and jeans, he leaves Washu to her forty winks in peace and as the man of the house goes to see who else is also awake. Somersaulting off the banister to quickly descend to the ground floor he lands on his hands and starts to walk to the kitchen in this position. Two long tails of blue dance across the doorway as he approaches and Yamcha eases himself back onto his feet.

" Morning Sasami, breakfast ready?"

" No, not yet…" Sasami, like Yamcha, has only been up for a short while and although he feels guilty for the pressure on her for cooking all the meals she is the only one capable of accomplishing said task without any danger of food poisoning. " … . Oh before you go, Yamcha were you having a bad dream last night?"

" Bad dream? No, why?"

" It's just I heard some weird sounds coming from your room so I thought you might have been having a nightmare or something. Are you sure you weren't, you don't have to be embarrassed." A rosy colour graces Yamcha's cheeks, she heard his midnight rendezvous but thank god she is still too young to understand.

" Washu's also not coming out of her lab, I tried knocking on her door this morning but she wouldn't reply. I don't like going in there so would you mind waking her up today 'cos she asked me to make sure she didn't miss breakfast." Yamcha's position is worsening, he is thinking of ways he could try and pull this off. Maybe if he used his extreme speed he could carry the sleeper in his bed into her lab and make it look like she didn't spend the night with him. Thinking to himself why he doesn't just tell her the truth and so prevent any complexities from building up someone must also have been thinking the same thing.

Noiselessly walking barefoot but otherwise fully dressed, Washu graces them with her prescence for a cheeky wink directed at Yamcha before she skulks off into her lab. Sasami looks at Yamcha with pure confusion on her face, he can see the questions building up behind her eyes and prepares himself for the inevitable revelation he will have to make. Luckily someone else does this for him, Trunks appears directly beside Sasami and after she recovers from the startle he whispers in her ear an explanation with which she whispers back to him to confirm what he just said to her. Feeling uncomfortable and sure they are discussing him and his personal life, Yamcha feels their eyes upon him as Trunks nods at Sasami before sitting down and swinging back on the sturdy chair precariously.

" Wow really, this is wonderful news. So Yamcha when are you going to marry Washu?" She beams at him, an innocent cherub that somehow has stricken such a deep fear into the heart of Yamcha. The colour drains from his face as a multitude of curse words whizz around his mind at the mere mention of marriage, freezing up as he did all those years ago when he had that crushing phobia of girls. One second he is there stuttering and worriedly glancing about avoiding Sasami's eyes and the next he is gone, no longer stood in the kitchen.

" Hey! That's rude. Where'd he go?" Sasami pouts, annoyed that he didn't answer her question that seemed perfectly reasonable for her. Trunks nearly overbalances and falls off his seat he is laughing that much, with the cunning of his father he planned and executed that perfectly. Not as sinless or pure as the girl-child he has known about Yamcha and Washu's relationship for some time now. With over two weeks having passed since becoming an orphan he needed to have a good source of comedy and he thinks he might have found it.

Taking in deep gulps of air the Z warrior clutches at his chest, she nearly put him into cardiac arrest with such a shock. Trying to recover and put his mind onto other matters he has moved himself into the training chamber again, one of the weights seems to be carelessly strewn on the floor which he is sure he put away properly. Dispelling it from his thoughts as it is inconsequential, he powers up the main console and activates a training programme that has quickly become his current favourite. Risking challenging himself a bit further he activates the artificial gravity up to 100G, he has tried simulations with gravity as well and found out that the gravity strangely enough only effects him and not his opponents. With this handicap he spawns the entire Ginyu force.

Wham, bam, splat and the rest is silence. A mere ten minutes and five of what supposedly were the most feared mercenary group lay defeated in the dust. Yamcha himself received only a few minor scraps and contusions, no major injuries thankfully. Greatly pleased that he managed such an accomplishment, he switches off the machine and warms himself down with a few stretches before seeing the reward for his deed peering in through the porthole in the door. Preferring seeing things with her own eyes rather than on the screens she looks at all day she stands gathering primary data. An inviting smile is too much of a temptation for him to resist. Enticed, he waves the door open with his powers. A pair of hands clamp over her eyes from behind her.

" Guess who?" He grins mischievously knowing how much she hates it when he does that. Pulling his hands off of her she shuns him until he has fed her ego enough with sweet nothings for her to forgive him for his misbehaviour.

" I'm afraid another urgent thing has cropped up in my lab. … It appears another lengthy '_experiment'_ is in order." Lifting her up into his strong arms he cradles her close to him as he carries her back off into her den where no-one can overhear them.

For Ayeka though nothing has changed, she is still holding her vigil awaiting for his arrival back. Only moving from this spot by the window to sleep, relieve herself or when Sasami brings food to her, however most of the time the dishes get forgotten about and the meals spoil. Enveloped in her own feelings the princess doesn't see how much her lack of activity is worrying the younger princess. If she did it would only bring more heartache and pain to the distraught maiden. Sunrise to sunset, sunrise to sunset each and every day she patiently wait.

Waiting till all others have gone to sleep or are otherwise preoccupied Ryoko's behaviour changes. Languishing throughout the day in the throes of inebriation and misery but at night she sneaks out, her mind cleared of distractions. With no-one to see her she phases downstairs and softly closes a large metal door behind her. Over the past week she has been making nocturnal visits to the training room every night and vacating it as soon as she hears the chirpy singing of Sasami as she gets up. Feeling foolish that it took her this long to realise, this is what he would want her to be doing not feeling sorry for herself. Such a pitiful state would only arouse his disapproval, she knows that now as she remembers how highly he thinks of strength and power. Craving his affection she strives to better herself, pushing herself beyond her known limits every night till she can show him how strong she has become and how he will be pleased.

" AAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Piercing the silence in the world of the dead is the shrill scream of Vegeta. Panting with sweat rolling off him in rivulets, his whole body shakes from the pain that was all he knew. The pain that is fading … his body… . Suddenly it clicks, he has a physical being again. Though not alive this is a marked improvement as he tries to look about in the place where no light ever shines. No sound or things to see, the only sense he knows he has working is touch; the smooth gloves slipping between his fists and the warmth sprouting from his ki. Focusing the ki into his hand and releasing it as a perfect sphere of illumination hovering around his person Vegeta surveys his surroundings.

The flare serves its purpose. Despite shedding no light on the lack of surroundings in the pits of Hell he can see himself. A throaty chuckle as he takes in himself with his eyes, the strength rolling off him in great emanations - his power hasn't decreased in his incarceration. Why he is wearing clothes he wasn't wearing at the time of his demise is something that might have bugged him were it not for the ecstasy of existence. You never truly miss something until it is taken from you and how he missed what he has been working and training to perfection throughout his whole life. Grinning from ear to ear, he quenches the ball of ki and plunges himself back into the ebony blackness of Hades. Waiting, awaiting nothing in particular but no other roads are open for him.

Time passes, how much he could not say. He could say how many times his heart beat or how many breaths he took but time he couldn't give you for it works differently in the eternal realm or might do. Time in a place of infinity means nothing or is nothing or everything, he isn't a philosopher or great wise thinker he is a fighter so these matters don't concern him. What concerns him is the change in his environment he has detected with his acute vision. Black has gradually changed into a dark grey, grey into silver and silver into a shining brightness blinding his vision. Shielding his eyes from the damaging light he lowers his arms back down from his face and tries to work out what in Hell is going on.

A crimson lake greets him, a wide open sea of a liquid he has drawn from others more times than he can count. This lagoon of blood he stands before. He has no recollection of it, this is a circle of Hell he has not been to. The shoreline of the gore is a forest. A forest with no trees. Each trunk is a towering spear or colossal needle thrust high into the air, every sharpened point of the millions upon millions gleaming. Such a hostile habitation is a breath of fresh air from the void he was jailed in, surveying his surroundings and the bustle of activity he sees he is not alone. Bands of armed ogres rushing from the spikes towards an unseen point beyond the horizon of death, they run past his position completely ignoring him like he was a ghost. Calls to arms are barked and alarms whir noisily, breaking the stillness of the damned. Reaching out and lifting up one of the horned beings running past him by the throat Vegeta looks coldly into the sockets of this guardian of the underworld.

" What's going on? Where in Hell am I?"

" There's been a prisoner escape from Tartarus level, the area were we keep the most evil and dangerous beings who have died … such as yourself. As to where you are this is Area 1, Sector 1 and you and your kin have been released to bolster the ranks of guards."

" My kin?..." Vegeta discards the poor ogre into the lake when he sees figures forming in the distance. Such a wondrous sight that he has not seen since his years as a toddler, a mighty host of hardened Saiyan veteran fighters relieved from their sins temporarily to aid the ones keeping them forever confined in torture. The best unarmed force the universe has ever seen was at the disposal of the Kai's and so not wanting to squander what resources they have in response to the prison break until the emergency is over the Saiyans walk to war again. Yet more and more of his long lost species come into existence, his breath catches in his throat when he sees him.

Running up to the group of his brethren known to him he stands as a man full grown before someone bearing an uncanny likeness to him, his father King Vegeta with his royal cape billowing at his back. His father is not alone, by his left hand side is the weakling brother of his Prince Tarble. Gathering around their monarch instinctively the Saiyans form rank around their leader, familiar faces like Nappa and Raditz seen in the front line eager for this one final stand they have been given.

" I am here father, Prince Vegeta reporting for duty." Bowing on one knee before the only person he would consider honouring in this way before standing back up tall and proud, his father looks down upon him.

" My son, you have grown up to full strength. You escaped Frieza's treachery then, that is good news to hear but where is your tail?" A great fatherly pride blooms within the king seeing his son as a man for the first time, a strong man and worthy fighter surely despite his missing appendage.

" I lost it carelessly in a battle, since then I have gotten stronger, stronger than all other Saiyans before me. I have become a Super Saiyan of legend like you said I would father." All the other dead Saiyans stare at him, none believe this claim of him ascending into the stuff of legend. Even his father doubts him, it can be seen in his eyes. They want proof, they shall have proof and cower before his power. Roaring as he raises his power and surges ki through his body he transforms to the form of the mythical warrior. Amidst the sea of black and dirty brown hair stands one shining being of pure gold.

" Ha, this is but a drop in the ocean. All of you stand there so high and mighty yet even my own son not even into puberty can do this, it must come from the lineage of the super-elite. Hey Nappa, want to see how easily I can kill you this time?" The shock and awe tactics work, even the king is humbled before such a display. The stories they told themselves to ward off the oppression of Frieza have come to pass and they bear witness to the pinnacle of their species, the power hidden within all of them. Before them all stands a single man with the power to destroy them all just like Frieza did.

" Why-Why you?! I don't care 'bout your stupid hair change you trumped up little squirt … you'll pay for what you did to me!"

" Is that so Nappa? Tell me what makes you think you'll fare better than when I blasted you to pieces. Have you gone super Saiyan also, sorry I can't tell from the light shining off your bald dome." Laughing and mocking his former partner from the safety of self assuredness and omnipotence, Vegeta takes one of his gloves off and throws it to the feet of Nappa.

" Grrr… I'll KILL YOU!" In the instant before Nappa can set his future in stone by swinging his considerable sized fists he is jerked back to his senses by a stern hand gripping his arm. Calming down through heavy breaths, Nappa slowly nods at this Saiyan, understanding now how he was being baited into such actions so he could be smitten down by the prince again. Tutting at his loss of a demonstration of his enormous strength Vegeta's attention focuses on this new scarred combatant – a face he could never allow himself to forget.

" I know your son." Vegeta points at this unnamed soldier, not knowing what to do when addressed by royalty or one straight out of the unwritten pages of their folklore he looks around checking that he is the one who Vegeta's attention is fixed on. Tightening the tattered red rag knotted around his forehead he steps forwards, approaching his Prince and King in a stately fashion. Following his father another Saiyan stands by him, long spiked hair rustling against his armour.

" Not you Raditz, begone." Walking back to his place in the battalion the second Saiyan to go to Earth knows his place and accepts it. " I was talking about your other son Bardock, Kakarot." Smiling at the mention of his second child, the one he saw for but the briefest of moments before being sent away to escape the planet's destruction, Bardock is dying to know what became of him.

" To cut a long story short your son is now the only surviving Saiyan, minus his and my hybrid children with the inhabitants of the planet he was sent to. It shames me to say this … but he was the one to ascend to this level before me, he was the one who killed Frieza and defeated many more foes which I could not." Bardock nods slowly, understanding now what those visions he saw at the moment of his transition to this plane of existence meant. He sired the saviour of their species, too late to do any good but if he killed Frieza then good on him.

" You say he was the one who freed us from our servitude? Tell me my son, why was it him, this low class, and not you who had the power and strength to defeat that bastard son of Cold?" The King looks down on the Prince with a disapproving tone hinted in his words, he raised him to be the best. Bred from the crème de la crème of warriors and trained by the greatest masters on their planet, King Vegeta cannot help but wonder how his son was surpassed. Prince Vegeta quickly replies to silence any ill thoughts his father is surely thinking.

" This isn't the first time I have died. That fool Kakarot might have bettered me all those years ago but now the tables have turned. I am the ultimate warrior, now stand aside. I will deal with whatever's going on … I need the help of none of you feeble slugs." Flying above the heads of his countrymen, Vegeta unleashes all the restraints holding back his true self. A conflagration burning hotter than the Sun's flames burns as a super Saiyan 3 floats high up in the sky. At last his power has reached its maximum and is witnessed by all below him, any previous notion they had of what they thought of as strength is flung and crushed into the winds.

He tackles the breakout alone, none of the ogres had even reached ground zero before every wrongdoer had been not so kindly killed for a second time. The sweet taste of victory quickly fades into the shades of bitterness, no sooner had he vanquished his foes and stood high and mighty above the fallen corpses of the most feared things the universe can throw at him then his time is up. There is no justice. Cruelly whisked away from him is his body, stuck once more in the limbo state of nothingness. His reward for doing the dirty business of the Kai's is to be slung back to the chastening experience of wretched suffering. It begins anew, the torture fresh and vivid after that misleading lull and he is helpless and senseless again.


	9. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 9: Day 34

Chapter 9

Glistening in through the window and past the drawn curtains drift the first rays of sunshine, illuminating the faint specks of dust floating past its beam. After travelling through space for 8 minutes, the electromagnetic rays fall gently onto the two heads sharing one pillow. Lighting up the sparse room with the dim light of the early morning sun the change in luminous flux diffuses through the heavy eyelids of Yamcha. Trying to flee back from the light and into the murk of the room in his scarcely semi-conscious state, he burrows his head into the sea of pink hair in front of him. Snuggling back down into the velvety locks, sleep burrows its claws back into his mind dragging him back down to the depths of slumber.

Woken up in the same fashion of so many men before him, Yamcha awakens with his air supply blocked off by the hair of his lover. Coughing and spluttering to clear his throat of the asphyxiating strands he sits up massaging his temples, his hand sliding down as he rubs the last remnants of sleep away. Flicking his own unruly mane out of his eyes and embracing the dawn he turns to get out of bed and …

" Morning Yamcha." The high pitched voice of Puar startles him as the blue fuzz ball hefts up a circular device nearly larger than itself. Slamming his paw down on the single button the black screen of the radar bursts into life, lights blinking and beeping urgently.

" Morning Puar, you know what this means don't ya? Next time you want to show me something though can you wait outside, all that beeping's going to-"

" Going to wake me up? You are so kind and considerate aren't you, but I've been awake for a while now." Yamcha looks behind him to see Washu stirring and rolling over to face him and the hovering blue mammal, her yawning and unfocused eyes tell a different story from what she says though. Smiling, he strokes her cheek then carefully throws the covers off of himself so that none of Washu's modesty is hazarded.

" It's 'bout time, 27 days and we can go and get him back now. Better tell the others, I'm sure this will brighten up their day." Rolling his shoulders as he stands and cricks his neck. As Yamcha leaves the room dressed and ready he grins and winks at Washu. With him out of sight she sets about picking up the many articles of her clothing strewn about the room, same as she has done for over two weeks now.

The first stop is the room closest to his, the closed door leading to where a certain space pirate has holed herself up in. Neither hide nor hair has been seen of her for many days and any attempt to open her door has been greeted by a ruckus of angry shouts and threats. This time though being a bearer of good news he taps gently on the hard wood of the door, bracing himself for a slurry of insults and foul language. Instead the ominous silence he thought she had moved on from returns in full force. Sliding open the door just a crack Yamcha is nearly knocked out.

A faint whiff of the fumes released from Ryoko's room is enough to make the corridor start to spin. Channelling ki through his body as protection from the toxic miasma she has created, he enters through the great stench of alcohol. Empty and discarded bottles clink together as he tries to force the door so it is fully open, maybe one per cent of her floor can be seen through the wasteland of cans, flagons and flasks – not one of them containing a single drip of booze anymore. The pungent reek of her binge drinking completely masks that of her perspiration, being still worn out from the workout she has finished but seconds ago – the secret ones they still are in the dark about.

Hovering over the field of detritus and litter, he goes over to where she is sat, his eyes starting to sting from the alcoholic atmosphere. Not facing him, sitting with her knees on her chest and head hung low, she ignores this intrusion into her self inflicted seclusion. Landing beside her in a small spot clear of all obstacles he waits for her to acknowledge his prescence. She just sits there, her fringe hiding her face and soft, shallow breaths breaking the silence. Looking around, Yamcha flings open the curtains though not brightening the room as apparently Ryoko didn't turn off her lights last night. Kneeling down by her he gently taps the dragon radar against one of her hands.

" Hi Ryoko. I think you'll want to see this. … Do you more good then drinking yourself into oblivion." The offhand insult catches her attention, glaring menacingly from under her hair she snatches the machine from his hand. Fumbling clumsily as she hurries to activate the locating device, her trembling fingers tripping over themselves with anticipation now she sees what he has brought to her – he has given to her an end to this nightmare. Dreading her hopes being dashed, she hesitates in pressing the single button. It would be too cruel for this ray of happiness to be slapped away from her, she couldn't bear the pain of this emptiness again.

" The Dragonballs aren't inert anymore Ryoko." Beep, beep, beep. Seven yellow dots scattered far and wide are shown on the invention of Bulma's. Seven separate things that when brought together would grant her only and greatest heart's desire. She doesn't hear the door close behind him as he leaves her, nothing could distract her from what the pixels on the screen she holds in front of her face represent. Salty tears trickle down her face and drip onto the device, obscuring and distorting the basic images shown on it. The dams holding back her long since dried up reservoirs of tears crack and spew out the secret reserves for these feelings of ecstasy. Enraptured with joy a large stupid smile grows across her face, the first one to appear in too long, and hugs this bringer of hope tightly to her chest that feels as if it will explode.

Next on Yamcha's agenda is Ayeka, from what Sasami has told her about her sister's unusual and introverted behaviour this ought to bring her back to her old self. Rapping his knuckles as he slides open the door he is so thankful that she hasn't taken to drink like her rival. Sasami must have entered whilst he was telling Ryoko and as the kind and considerate younger sibling she has brought breakfast on a tray for Ayeka. Sat up in her bed having unquestionably just arisen from being asleep, Ayeka's glazed eyes drift over that of her sister and this strange man she has hardly seen and settle on the food set upon her lap – a simple round of buttered toast and a boiled egg.

The bright pink eyes of the younger girl look up at Yamcha from her sister's side, her infectious smile and kind heart lighten this bleak bedroom. The one with a scarred face walks up to her and ruffles her hair affectionately as he turns his attention to the older princess.

" Um Miss Ayeka, can you hear me? …" Yamcha's question goes unanswered as Ayeka continues to stare blankly at the air in-between her and the plate with her breakfast. " … Well it's time to go get your prince back, the dragon radar shows that we can revive him now. Ain't that some good news." He departs from the room having said his piece. Overjoyed by this prospect, Sasami is as giddy as a little schoolgirl smiling gaily up at her big sister. A slight trace of a smile births itself across Ayeka's face as she blinks her eyes into focus. Now with her will to go on restored she looks down at her little sister and embraces her in a warm hug.

Heading downstairs Yamcha finds waiting for him at the bottom one person who already knows, the only person here who has a true claim to living in this house. Trunks is wearing the Saiyan raiment like his father does and which he had on during that fateful visit to that unknown planet which cost this lad dearly. Both warriors nod at each other, understanding what they now have to do – a simple chore that also reaps great rewards. Impatiently waiting for a dragon radar so that they can initiate their mission, the two warm up their bodies and muscles with some simple stretches to pass the time. The rising agitation of Trunks during this delay is clearly visible, children are never the best at waiting and under these circumstances it's anyone's guess what he might do.

Time ticks by agonisingly slowly in its never ending march onwards, a quarter of an hour passes and still there is no sign of the additional dragon radars. The thin threads of patience tying Trunks to rational behaviour have been all but severed, frayed to their limits by this pointless lingering and loitering. Fidgeting on the spot restlessly, fingers drumming against folded arms, teeth grinding and feet tapping urgently on the weathered floorboards, Trunks' vexation rises. Second by second the fact that an uncontrollable Saiyan might swiftly become a reality looms over Yamcha.

Saved from this by Washu as she leaves her laboratory carrying with her 3 of the spare radars she made all those days ago he thanks his lucky stars. 2 are in her hands by the time she has taken a few steps into the hallway, unperturbed by Trunks snatching one at the supersonic speeds he is capable of, she continues towards Yamcha as she hands him the penultimate device. With this piece of technology in his grasp he turns to set off on his quest to see that the brash youth is already outside ready to take off into the bright blue yonder.

" Trunks, just wait there a sec. C'mon it'd be better if we did this as a group, besides you can't carry all seven on your own."

" Yeah, yeah I hear you and guess what? I don't care, so smell you guys later I'm off to bring back my dad on my own." Jetting into the sky ,the boy begins to voyage across the globe leaving just a vapour trail dissipating into the air behind him.

" Well he definitely is his father's son that's for damn sure, s'pose there's no need for this anymore… . Hi again Ryoko and Ayeka" Returning the gadget to its creator, his hands linger on hers till he spots the three other residents coming down the stairs. Plain to see what kept them so long, no matter how quick they try and hurry, prettying themselves up as they have done still takes some time. Bar Sasami the two women have gone to particular effort over their appearance, wanting to appear their best before this miraculous return of Vegeta.

Ayeka, who for so long has not cared about such petty and vain things as the way she looks, has transformed herself back into the glistening jewel of Jurai. The shine and volume returned to her sleek and glossy hair, its vibrant colour reawakened and concealing the royal headdress she has retaken to adorning her forehead with. Life and colour back in her face complemented with some light make-up but nothing as ravishing as the lavishly ornate gown made of the finest materials decorating her slim figure. Delicate hand-spun satin conjoining the elbows of the flowing sleeves to the elaborate bodice of many colours in a cape of pure white. Broaches of the highest quality gold fashioned in the shapes of the leaves of Juraian trees affix vivid reds and greens encircling the navy blue collar and skirt. Lilac spaulders and a sea blue sash complete this most regal of outfits.

Ryoko as always has taken a different approach to things compared to the prim and proper blue blood. A very dark turquoise and also very short long sleeved dress lined with a hem of pink. A sharp and shockingly coloured bright green bow tie and a charcoal girdle is all that ties together the front of her dress. Unashamedly she walks around showing off a fair bit of her cleavage and her lithe, comely legs covered only by the front of the skirt and tailcoat with her own tail peeping out from underneath. Gracing the face of the tomboy for the first time are subtle hints at attempts of using makeup, cosmetics she has 'borrowed' from Ayeka without her permission or knowledge. Sweeping eyelashes defined and emphasised with mascara, feline eyes outlined and highlighted and her lips rouged.

Padding towards the desert raider is Sasami in her usual garb of natural blues and greens. Yamcha has smartly kept his eyes away from the procession of women down the stairs and instead continues to look at the only woman in the room his usually nomadic eyes find true beauty in. The first thing he knows of the juvenile moving towards him is the soft tug at his yellow jeans, he looks down at the small girl focusing her wide, pink eyes on his face.

" Ok Mister, it's about time you stopped avoiding me and answered my question."

" Huh? What question Sasami, and don't think I've been avoiding you it's just that I've been … preoccupied." The puzzled expression on Yamcha's face isn't fooling anybody, somehow acting skills aren't something he has picked up on his travels across the globe so even a nine year old girl can see through his lies.

" Well that doesn't matter, you're here now so … when are you and Washu gonna get married?" Her cheery smile once again freezing the very soul of Yamcha and makes his flesh crawl. Keeping his hands in Washu's turns into a grave mistake, all routes of escape are gone as he feels her dainty fingers grip his like a vice. If Sasami was trying to finish this Z-warrior off good and proper she is succeeding with flying colours, nervous sweat drips down his face drained of colour. Washu is enjoying this way too much for him to be comfortable, clasping his sweaty palms tighter as she leans in with a coy blush on her face.

" Oh Yamcha I had no idea you felt that way about me, it's all so sudden. Well, give a girl an answer then." Dread knits itself into his bones, a cold shiver running up and down his spine. He tries to take a step back but her hold on him prevents him from doing so unless he unleashes his strength and probably break her arms in the process, that's probably one of the few things he could do to severely worsen the position he is currently in.

" N-now w-what uuh you, well, it's you see umm ... I-I haven't even proposed yet and - "

" Yet? So you were actually planning to then? My you are full of secrets aren't you." He walked straight into that one. The universe's most intelligent woman was not going to let that slip of the tongue escape her and the pressure on him now to try and think of a good, or at least adequate, response that won't dig the hole he is standing in any deeper is crushing down on his brain. BEEP!

" Hey wouldya look at that Trunks has all the dragonballs and is on his way back." Getting himself clean out of the frying pan and dodging the fire he has shifted all attention off of him onto the more pressing matters that they have gathered for. Yamcha just knows this will come back to bite him later and once Washu sets her sights on something she won't drop it, he'll have to prepare for this before it takes him by surprise again. Although all four females are looking out of the front door at where they expect the second child of Saiyan and human coupling to land his hands are still kept in his lover's clutches.

Right on cue Trunks touches down on the turf with seven hand-sized crystalline gemstones of a fiery colouration dropping down onto the grass still wet with the morning's dew. Bouncing off of the soft loam and coming to rest in a neat cluster at the kid's feet the life within the dragonballs begins to awaken. Twinkling from the epicentre of each mystical orb, a pinprick of light bursts forth illuminating the objects created by Dende. Pulsating in synch, the septet awaits for one to conjure forth the beast held within. Stood before these glowing spheres Trunks stands without a clue what to do now, he has never seen Shenron or been around when a wish has been granted. Infuriated by his own confusion and inability to rescue his own father from Abaddon, the boy wracks his mind over every tale he has been told concerning the immemorial dragon called Shenron.

Wriggling forth out of Washu's hands, Yamcha leads the group outside into the fresh air, walking briskly to retain his freedom. He puts one of his weathered hands on the shoulder of the hybrid son.

" It's Ok, I got this. Eternal dragon by your name I summon you forth, SHENRON!" As soon as the command is uttered from Yamcha the throbbing incandescence of the magical globes hastens. All light is blotted out from the Sun as blackness envelops the sky, a horizon of darkness lit up by the seven motes flashing at the lakeside. The rhythm of the shining dragonballs becomes a steady glow as bright orange sparks jet off from it. One massive lightning bolt of gold blasts off straight into the heavens tearing the all encompassing unnatural night asunder in a blaze of brilliance. The yellow fulmination continues to jet out of the seven gathered items, taking up more and more of the sky as it reaches the higher altitudes of the troposphere. At its zenith four prongs jut out of its side and the head of the mass of energy culminates into a large horned snout.

The radiant luminescence dies down as the thing taking up the heavens takes on form, a massive serpentine bulk of green scales and a thick, cream hide on its underbelly. Miles of ridges running along its great expansive river-like back, the antlers of an enormous stag and whiskers of an equally monstrously large catfish spring into existence on the rapidly solidifying being of Shenron. Large jaws full of serrated pearly whites loom down at the one who dares to conjure it from its interrupted slumber. Red eyes centre on the six humanoids and the two tasty morsels hissing insistently at the god-like reptile, Ryo-ohki is definitely not pleased with this large, terrifying creature as it raises its hackles.

" Speak your wish and it shall be granted." A voice as deep as the roots of a mountain thunder out this same line it has said countless times before. Mixtures of awe, fear and trepidation spread through the members of the fairer sex seeing this colossal lizard gazing down at them as if they were a bunch of meagre insects scurrying around at its feet. Washu seems more interested though not in the dragon but the dragonballs themselves, she sees Shenron merely as a physical manifestation of their weird power. One of the little people below the hovering dragon steps up towards it.

" Eternal dragon, we wish for our companion Vegeta the Prince of Saiyans to be brought back to life."

" The one called Vegeta has already been resurrected by me when he died on Namek, it is …. – was beyond my power to do so … . It appears my creator has been busy upgrading my powers during my sleep. Your wish has been granted." Optical orbs the size of small houses gleam a warm lambent ruby red as the magic happens. The colour from Shenron's eyes fades as once again its corporeal form transmutes into pure energy piercing the sky, taking with it the seven artefacts that are responsible for its existence. Surging into the air as lightning, the dragon coalesces into a far off speck of light nearly out of orbit as it scatters the dragonballs far and wide to random positions across the whole globe. Reverting back to the natural hue of blue the celestial sphere and Sun return to the vista above the lake. Tranquillity resumes, birds in the forests begin to take up their chorus again and the world goes back to the way it was.

Yamcha walks back towards the rest of the group with his job now done and pleased that Dende has finally got the Earth's dragon closer to the level of power as Porunga, the true Namekian dragon. He seems the only one happy though. The lack of Vegeta stood before them has sent the women frantically looking about to see where he is, their histrionics seem to be infecting Trunks as well. Yamcha should have explained how Shenron works before he did this and avoided this whole kerfuffle but no-one's perfect, least of all him.

" Shhh, calm down. Look when someone is wished back they don't just magically appear next to us, they either come back to life where they died or where their souls currently are in the Other world. He has Instant Transmission so -" A great waft of brimstone and sulphur enshrouds them all, for a brief instant the sounds of the infinite damned legions screech into the realm of the living. Ryoko and Ayeka search about for the source of these perceivable clues that the one they have been waiting for has been spat out of Hell, no matter where they look neither can pinpoint where Vegeta has come into being. That is until a faintly perceptible whistling sound can be heard getting louder and louder with each passing moment.

Plummeting like a stone, the wind rips at the blue training gear around the Saiyan. Roaring fills his ears as he accelerates towards the ground barely conscious. Just managing to turn himself whilst freefalling, the squinted eyes of Vegeta have trouble focusing on this very large object rapidly coming to greet him. In one side and out the other the mammoth mountain does naught to slow down his arrival to Earth, crashing through the miles of rock and veins of dense metals secreted in its depths he pops out covered in debris and detritus as he completes the final descent. Plunging into the waters before his house and emptying the lake of most of its contents in an almighty splash, Vegeta is back.

Gobsmacked by such a dramatic reinstatement to life, both Ryoko and Ayeka run up to the agitated water's edge peering into the murky depths of stirred up silt for a sign of their prince. A whoosh of disturbed air and a perfectly dry Vegeta is crouched on his hands and knees panting heavily, eyes wide and staring wildly at the tufts of grass between his fingers. Clenching the fists of his new body he tears a divot under each hand, dropping the sod as he slowly rises to his feet. Glancing about at the familiar surroundings and faces fixed on him his cold eyes settle on one individual. Still reeling from the agony and torture that was existence in the infernal plane, his mind grasps at the concept of being alive again and what must have occurred. Walking towards this one person, this sole reason he was able to keep his sanity in the fiery pits, the faces of the two women light up enraptured by his prescence. Getting closer to the two women he outstretches one of his Goliath arms.

" Is it honestly too much to ask for one of you to have raised your power levels so I could accurately Instant Transmission. Thanks, thanks a lot for catching me. What, were you afraid I'd gone soft or something when dead or needed to be rammed through a mountain for my own wellbeing? … It's good to be back my son." His large arm hugs his child close to him, pulling the son he treasures more than anything into a constricting bear hug. Trunks doesn't complain or struggle in this embrace even though his ribs are on the verge of cracking, the gladness of having his father back with him numbs the lad to the pain. Releasing Trunks from his iron grip, Vegeta smiles warmly at his offspring and tussles his lavender hair before ending this brief reunion.

Somersaulting high and landing far away from the duo of women who tried to blindside him, Vegeta scowls. Ryoko flying low and skimming the ground and Ayeka sprinting as fast as is physically possible in her dress, both with eyes moist from tears of joy at seeing Vegeta back in the flesh and no longer just a haunting memory keeping them awake day and night. Screeching to a halt and turning to face Vegeta with a look of befuddlement at his avoidance of them they stand, or hover, perplexed. Slower this time they walk hesitantly towards him only to have a knife thrust in their open hearts. Ryoko's and Ayeka's movements cease as they stand stock still staring at a white gloved hand pointed palm first aggressively towards them.

" No." The knife tears deeper... " Stop, come no closer." … and twists, ripping them apart from the core in their most vulnerable state. " I have no need of your stupid behaviour, … leave me be. … You think after literally going through hell I'd honestly be in the mood for such fools as you." The euphoria of life anew has not had enough time to break through the calloused curtain of ice frozen around his heart and mind after a month of knowing nothing but the greatest pains devised nonstop. Uncaringly he ignores them and the abject hurt he has caused them, unable to deal with them at this point in time. As if he has done nothing wrong he faces the last pair of people outside his house who are stood close to each other. Priding himself on his great mind and cunning it embarrassingly takes his brain ages for the cogs to start to turn and churn out an answer. The linked arms, her nuzzling close to him and being in adult form can only mean one thing.

" Some good news then, seems you're going to rid me of a bothersome guest. Still a few tricks left in the old dog then or did you fall victim to that whole nurse routine she does?" Raising an eyebrow curiously at this most unlikely of pairings, the owner of the household questions the beauty and the brains and Yamcha.

" Hey give me some credit Vegeta, and you're older than me so I don't know who you're calling an old dog. She has a lot more than just that nurse's costume too I can tell ya."

" I did not need to know that. … Anyway I'm off to train, so don't disturb me. A whole goddamn month wasted and I bet that clown Kakarot's overtaken me again." Striding off purposefully into his house to sate his hunger for training and self improvement, totally ignoring everyone who gathered for his resurrection, he goes back to doing what he does best. With the show over and nothing to entertain them, the kids and feline mammals swiftly follow the man of the house back indoors as if everything were normal and fine. A faint, heartbroken sigh escapes from the two women stood forlornly looking at the doorway which the Saiyan prince has just rounded and left their sight.

" Hey, Washu …, umm, y'know that now Vegeta's back what happens now? I mean, I was only here 'cos he kicked the bucket and someone had to look out for Trunks but he's back now so … I s'pose I'll … I'll have to leave now." It pains him to say these words, he has truly enjoyed his time with Washu but Yamcha knows that everything has its time and everything must naturally come to an end. Looking nearly as distraught as the melancholy statues gazing sorrowfully at the threshold to the dwelling, Washu fixes her pleading eyes on this man who has become so much more than just a guinea pig to her.

" No! Don't leave me! Y-you don't have to go Yamcha, please."

" C'mon, don't say it like that. It's not like I want to. What'd you want me to do? I doubt Vegeta's gonna let me stay with the amount of people already living here."

" But… but you could move in with me and live in my lab - "

" You really think that'll work? I mean your lab is still technically in his house …" Trying to mull it over in his mind all his freewill flies away from him as Washu unleashes the tearful puppy eyes on him, just the sight of it and he knows he will have to do her will. " … But Ok, I'll go and give it a shot and talk to him. See if we can settle this man to man." Sauntering off casually into the house, Yamcha tries to waste some time until he has to talk to Vegeta after seeing the kind of mood he is in when he spoke to the two women he is currently walking past. Washu sees what he is doing and can't blame him, she has him wrapped around her little finger but he still has a sense of self preservation. Smiling in her confidence that her man will sort things out, she inspects the two stationary women who haven't moved for some time now. The extremely scientific test of waving her hand in front of their faces concludes her experiment and proves her initial hypothesis that neither are paying any attention to external stimuli and have completely retreated within themselves leaving just empty, broken shells. Shrugging nonchalantly, Washu takes a leaf out of Vegeta's book and leaves them to their own devices. She's got more important things to worry about than those two such as completing tests on those few miniscule samples of Grah scraped off of the armour she manufactured, a few cells is all that Washu has to work on but the analysis is taking a lot longer than expected.

Observing Vegeta through the porthole in the thick metal door leading to the training room for a good long while, Yamcha musters his courage and calms his beating heart as he attempts the impossible and slides open the door. His boots thud heavily into the tiles, crossing into the training room puts him into the artificial gravity well of the main console and his body weight jumps up to 500 times its natural level. Lumbering the few metres over to the prince of Saiyans practising the pinnacle of martial arts, Yamcha waits for Vegeta to pay attention to him or for the endorphins of exercise to make his task easier. Flowing like water, Vegeta's movements are completely unhindered as he ignores the desert warrior and Yamcha strains himself just trying to stay stood up. Clearing his throat several times yields no results for Yamcha so he decides on a drastic course of action.

Catching the fist flying towards the back of his head before ducking, pivoting and diving under the legs of Yamcha to flip him hard onto his back, Vegeta finally acknowledges the other in this room.

" You still here? Thought you were going to take Washu and fly out of here so what's with this lousy attempt at striking me." Offering his hand to help up Yamcha, Vegeta grins maliciously as he crushes the fingers of Yamcha with his tightening grip. In one fell swoop he flings Yamcha across the room and into the wall.

" Yeah well, I came to talk to you about just that. Y'see she kinda asked me to move in with her." Getting back up onto his feet he glances at the cold pieces of flint that are Vegeta's eyes.

" I wasn't aware that Washu owned any property on this planet or any other. I thought she just had that damn dimension thing, … oh no, you've got some balls to come in here and ask that of me. Well tell her she can move her laboratory over to a doorway wherever you live, end of." Hefty blows strike Yamcha in the stomach and chest just too quick for him to do anything about it but grin and bear it. Dropping to his knees as the onslaught finishes, Yamcha does not give up.

" She can do that? Always thought that thing was permanent. … Anyway more to the point, I've gone back to living in my old desert hideout and caves don't tend to have doors in them."

" Ha! A cave? Whatever happened to all that money from being the best player in some stupid sport? Did you waste it all?" The sole of pointed boots press down on the bandit's back, pressing him back down to the floor and making him unable to get up.

" No … it's not that. I might have gone and cocked up one of my games, that's all. I swung the bat too hard and you can guess what happened next. A whole neighbourhood destroyed and dozens of people injured and me up to my neck in lawsuits." Grabbed by the front of his vest and heaved back onto his feet he sees a smile playing across Vegeta's face.

" So now that makes two of us who have got a bit carried away whilst in a spectator sport, I killed not injured though. Hmm, pounding you was just the therapy I needed. I'm listening so now's your chance, persuade me."

" Uh, I have nothing to offer that you would want. How about if I leave then Washu would follow and probably cause a great amount of chaos if she were unleashed in a public environment."

" I suppose it would be far too cruel to let Washu loose on this world so it will be your job to keep her in line. Good luck, you'll need it. You owe me for this so if I ask something of you I expect you to obey without question." Circulation to Yamcha's head is cut off from the chokehold of Vegeta, giving him no chance to thank him or anything. Vegeta catapults him back through the still open door to the training room to skid face first along the floorboards of the living room as he slams shut the door to his sanctum. Bruised but mainly uninjured in the most part, the sound of footsteps approaching the prone Z-warrior resting on the floor causes him to look up to see the reason he went in to converse with Vegeta.

He picks himself up to see her face as she anxiously inspects his body to see the extent of his injuries. He brushes away her worries when he explains that he did what she asked of him and grins at her as her face erupts with glee into a bewitching smile. Overjoyed, she follows him upstairs to watch him move his stuff, as he requires no aid, and guides him through her labyrinth. He would be hopelessly lost without her, she will have so much fun now he is trapped with her in the place only she knows. A place of shadows and machinery, contraptions and guile, pleasure and pain but more importantly somewhere with only one single exit that she can make disappear.

High noon and the Sun drifts high in the sky. These several hours of laborious training has done wonders for Vegeta, allowing him to relearn his body and its innermost workings and functions putting him back on top form. Not truly fatigued or weary yet he still stops his training. Something is gnawing away at the back of his brain, a niggling feeling that something is wrong but he can't place his finger on it. He has been uninterrupted for hours now and hasn't heard a peep out of the others inhabiting his home, not one raised voice or argument. No bickering or quarrels distracting him. He can't for the life of him think why this is troubling him or why he expected these to break the silence he cherishes.

Two faces pop into his head. Faces that look as though all the happiness in the world has been drained from them and it all becomes crystal clear to him. Ryoko and Ayeka, or more specifically the harsh words he said to them, are what's stopping him from continuing training. Guilt rarely frequents his mind, even if he killed someone in cold blood he would feel nothing but with this it has sown its seeds deep and ignoring it will only cause these feelings to germinate and fester. Switching the machine taking up the centre of the room off, he leaves to check on the repercussions of his rash actions influenced by the tendrils of death that had not fully left him.

Still stood where he left them, Vegeta stands in front of the two women he has wronged. No reaction, no random hugs or fights erupting between the two, they just stay perfectly still with glazed eyes staring into oblivion. Like husks with the souls removed from them they stand with shoulders slumped and a heady air of depression seeping out from them. Vexed by this catatonic state he steps right up close to them, sure that if he caused this then he must also be the cure. Pacing around them several times, wafting his hand in front of their faces and even poking them lightly still does nothing. His fist stops less than a millimetre from the bridge of Ryoko's nose and she doesn't even flinch, or blink much to his surprise. Raising his eyebrows as he tries to figure out an answer to this quandary and with a flick of his wrist several gallons of fresh water from the lake hurl themselves at the motionless rivals.

Success, a freezing cold dousing snaps them out of unresponsiveness and drenches both to the bone. Ayeka coughs and splutters between shivers with her precious gown sticking to her body. Wiping the lake's waters out of her eyes with her sleeve she sees Vegeta looking curiously at her and the other woman stood by her side. The intense eyes of his bore through her. Not meaning to do anything in particular but to ascertain what they were doing and why, Vegeta unwittingly continues to unnerve her already fragile being until it becomes too much for her in this delicate state. Breaking his stare and running, she flees back into the house with the sounds of sobbing following her. Following her with his piercing eyes, Vegeta makes a movement to go and chase after her until he hears a soft sound from behind him.

Legs buckling as her whole body gives way, Ryoko falls to her knees. Shoulders trembling and head bowed hiding her face. A glistening drop falls and wets her lap quickly followed by many more, and these aren't from the waters of the lake. This is not going how Vegeta semi-planned it to, torn between which of these two women to attempt and comfort first he, on instinct, goes for the one closer to him. Setting his gloves alight with ki so they fall off of his hands in fluttering embers, Vegeta bends down so he is at her level and lifts her chin up so he can see her face. The tears running freely from her closed eyes ruin the light makeup she has so carefully applied yet he doesn't care about things like this. Ryoko tries to pull her head out of his light grasp but he simply puts his other hand on her cheek and wipes away her salty tears and smudges her mascara even more in the process. The feel of his rough skin on her face makes her open her eyes at this unexpected touching.

" I'm the one who suffered in the infernal abyss of Hell, so what's the matter with you and Ayeka. It can't have been any worse than what I - "

" You rejected me! I - I waited for you a-and-and then … and then you just say no. … How could you?! Do I mean so little to you, … y-you don't know how I felt when you abandoned me." Her intense glare shocks him as much as the words shouted at him. A fresh batch of tears run over his ungloved fingers.

" Abandoned? Death didn't leave me much say in the matter. You think I wanted to die and be taken away from my son. Stop trying to make it sound as if you were worse off than me, I have been through things no mortal should ever suffer … and that was just you and Ayeka arguing constantly." The little jest of his offends her, yanking her head out of his hands she turns around to face away from him. Shunning Vegeta with her back to him she tries to force herself to be angry with him, that she could deal with but not this. Simply walking around so he is back in front of her Vegeta stands still.

" I will not be ignored by some low rank, would-be pirate who smells like a brewery, now stop with this idiocy. You were sad that I died, I understand, I've lost my wife and gone through that but I'm back now so I don't see why you're behaving like this." Ryoko stands up slowly, her eyes full of the wrath she has been striving for to end her heartache.

" You bastard! All you ever do is think of yourself! Just because I'm not some repressed megalomaniac like you doesn't make me an idiot. You really want to know why I'm acting the way I am, why don't you just go and read my mind again because you're too stupid to work it out yourself. … Did you forget what you said just before you died?"

" What I said? I had most of my brain blown to pieces and you expect me to remember. Last thing I recall was that thing on top of me stabbing my ruined body over and over again and me showing it what happens when it dares to mess with Saiyans. You should pay no heed to whatever I might have said beyond that point, they were just the ramblings of a dead man."

" You … you don't remember? HOW CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER?! But … you said … . Heh, you're right. **You** didn't say anything, y'know why? Because you're a coward!" He has never been called those words directly to his face. He won't stand for this insubordination. Seizing her by the collar and bow tie of her dress, Vegeta yanks her towards him so that his forehead is touching hers – he did have to drag her down a few inches or else his forehead would only come up to her nose.

" I have laid down my life to save you and you repay me by accusing me of cowardice, go on say it again to my face."

" You think I'm scared of you, well I'm not! You are a coward. Maybe not when it comes to battle but whenever someone tries to get close to you all you seem to do is run away like a little girl. Pushing people away and keeping them at a distance 'cos you're scared." Vegeta lets go of her and walks away back towards his house. Calm strides carry him away from Ryoko who still stares at him, seething that he dare just leave her mid-conversation.

" See there you go again, tail between your legs. Oh wait you don't have one, HA! You - "

" You are right Ryoko." A scarred hand stretches out towards her, not in the aggressive manner of earlier but in the extension of asking for reconciliation. " Kakarot has always had an open heart towards all, sickening as it is, it's still something that I am not capable of. I was raised to never let anyone get close, taught that emotions are for the weak and only led to pain and death. Even with Bulma I never treated her the way she deserved and she was the only woman I had ever had feelings for. I failed her as a husband and as a man in the end. I cannot change who I am and you have to accept that Ryoko." His hand hangs there as his cold demeanour thaws slightly. She is right in everything she has said and it would be arrogant to ignore, a good warrior learns his flaws or weaknesses and adapts himself around them.

" Huh, V-Vegeta? Wh-Wha? I don't - " Extinguished are her fires of rage, gone and forgotten now she sees him there conceding to her. Vegeta's softening expression calls to her yearning heart.

" I apologise. I was out of line for what I said to you earlier and … I do remember those words I uttered with my dying breath." Neither break eye contact as he says this, his fairly emotionless stare meeting the longing look she can't hide. Colour graces her cheeks once again as she takes small tentative steps full of doubt as her mind wavers. Ryoko traverses the gulf that he has bridged between the two of them to accept his offered hand, reaching her own hand out as her heart flutters and races. Just as her fingers skim against his, the hand of Vegeta disappears. For a split-second she fears the worst, that he has lured her into a trap and he betrayed her feelings for him, but they are dispelled as his mighty arms wrap around her slender waist. Instantly Ryoko blushes an extremely dark shade of red, her face glowing in embarrassment from the extreme intimacy of this unanticipated act from Vegeta.

A few seconds later and he releases her and watches her slowly walk off still in a daze and holding her rosy cheeks. He gave just enough to satisfy her for a while and no more, the sharp mind of Vegeta always has a plan, not to say some part of him did not enjoy the hug. Back in his house part two of the problem presents itself, Ayeka at the top of the stairs obviously having witnessed all that passed between him and Ryoko. The manicured fingers of the princess dig into the banister as they tremble, her red and bloodshot eyes the only sign of her weeping as she is still dripping wet from the drenching. She sees him looking at her with a face as easy to read as a professional poker player. Storming out of his view and traipsing water all over Vegeta's house she pays no attention to where she is walking, only needing to be far away and put some distance between her and him.

Vision blurred and not concentrating on her surroundings she walks straight into an immovable object, a large limb at chest level barring her progress onwards. Heat diffuses through the muscular limb and into her now bone dry clothing. It doesn't take someone of Washu's intellect to decipher who this arm belongs to and so Ayeka recoils from it. Stumbling backwards awkwardly into the sturdy bulk of the newly positioned Vegeta. Gripping one of her arms he spins her around to face him, a look of scorn and disdain warping her pretty face.

" Jealousy does not become you, you heard what I said to Ryoko and the same applies to you. I came to apologise and ask your pardon for what I did earlier." Taking a long inhalation through his nostrils he sniffs the air around her. " Try as you might with this façade your body betrays you, I can smell the hormones and pheromones rolling off you." Ayeka's stern eyes harden into a scowl.

" Humph, what makes you think I'll accept your apology, because I will not. Talking to me as if I am a common guttersnipe you seem to forget that I am a - "

" A princess of Jurai, yes I know, as is Sasami. You are not of higher standing than me, I am _prince_ Vegeta."

" Your royal blood is a joke. Royalty is supposed to represent and help the people, bit hard to do when there is only one other of your species and he doesn't and will never see you as his ruler." She will not relent in this rancorous grudge she is holding against him. A laugh escapes from Vegeta's smirking lips as he steps closer towards her, something dark passes behind his eyes as they draw level with hers.

" Kakarot will bend his knees to me before I smite him down and what's so good about who you rule. Me and that clown are the elite, the strongest beings in existence and unrivalled in our might. When I was a mere infant I obliterated several of your empire's planets with ease, any wise ruler would have anticipated or prepared for such an eventuality and set up orbital defences to shoot down our pods before we landed. Truth is, your father did nothing to protect those civilian. Not one single bit of resistance we ran into in the two years we were in that sector of the galaxy." That riposte takes all the gusting winds out of Ayeka's sails. Taken aback by such a unthinkable truth that her father, the Emperor of Jurai, allowed citizens of the empire to die does not sit easily with her. Disturbed by these words and the wicked look on Vegeta's face, she shuffles backwards away from him only to have him casually take two strides towards her.

" That's all in the past now, if I destroy any more planets it will not be because I am following commands but if I have no alternative left in whatever future battles I am sure to get into. Will you stop acting as cold as my corpse was a few hours ago if I hug you like I did Ryoko, is that it?"

" Ye –NO! No! You think I'm that weak willed? What makes you think I'd be interested in anything of the sort? If that's - " A small piece of paper is held up before her, a square image that stops her from talking as her words catch in her throat.

" Do I detect that you didn't want me to find that you had a picture of me hidden under your pillow? Hmm, what was that you were saying, you seem to have gone all quiet all of a sudden."

" H-how did you get that? You've been in my room! I never said you could enter my room so give it back!"

" This is my house I go where I like and on the subject I never said you could steal one of my wife's pictures. Here, you can have it back … and keep all those others you have stashed away in that secret box under your bed." Vegeta hands over the photograph to the princess still reeling that he knows about her secret hiding place where she also keeps her diary among other things. Ayeka stutters, her tongue tripping over itself, not sure whether to thank him or be outraged that he has gone and invaded her privacy. All her thoughts are silenced as he springs on her a surprise hug dealing with her in the same way he did with Ryoko.

As awkward as the proud warrior is when trying this fairly simple task it achieves its goal, her protests and ill feelings towards him are calmed. He thinks to himself that it is all far too easy as he lets go of the blushing maiden and walks back down the stairs as she slowly recovers from the embrace. A smug sense of satisfaction at being able to deal with those two with no hassle at all makes him feel so much better about being alive again. Slumped down at the bottom of the stairs by the door leading to a laboratory sits Yamcha, it's been only a few hours and he is already in the doghouse. Vegeta stands by this fellow warrior who sheepishly looks up at him.

" That did not last long at all, what the hell could you have done already?"

" It's not my fault, honestly. All I did was maybe have a little accident and a few unimportant things went and broke." Yamcha hops onto his bare feet.

" Were these things Washu's bones by any chance because if you were going to do that tell me next time and I'll come watch."

" Oh no it wasn't anything like that. She asked me to power-up … yeah she should have thought about what happens when we do stuff like that. About half of her lab now has lost power, I think it was half 'cos I have no idea 'bout that weird place." They share a knowing mischievous grin with each other as Vegeta sets off back to the training room with Yamcha tagging along. Although he normally insists on solitude whilst training the Saiyan did enjoy pummelling him earlier so allows him to accompany him.

" So Yamcha, you up for a rematch. I hope during my death you didn't let Trunks shirk in his training."

" Count me in for some training, got to waste some time before it's safe to go back in there and about Trunks … me and him didn't exactly see eye to eye most days and with him being able to go super Saiyan I couldn't force him to go and train or do anything for that matter." Vegeta nods, he understands the predicament that Yamcha was in and he can't think of a punishment more fitting than what the problem is, being weaker than a child. The men who had enjoyed the life of bachelors before these space farers arrived agree between themselves that they will not bother with a simulation and just put the gravity up to 100G, Vegeta also promises not to transform which still doesn't do much to improve Yamcha's odds.

" Ok, c'mon then. I'm betting on 5 minutes." Yamcha jogs on the spot, warming up his muscles and psyching himself up for the bout.

" Don't make me laugh, you'll be lucky to last one. Go!" The air hums as every particle in the sealed room is disrupted countless times by the fighters racing around faster than photons. Half a minute passes as Yamcha tries fruitlessly to back up his boast. Giving it his all still leaves him leagues behind the agile prince who nimbly evades each failed attack and bides his time. Another twenty seconds and the effect of fighting in the high gravity field taxes Yamcha's endurances. The time to strike is at hand. With the bandit slightly off balance mid-sprint and one arm extended at the long since vacated spot where he aimed a punch, Vegeta draws back his fist and slams it hard into the exposed throat of Yamcha.

Dropping like a stone onto his knees, grasping at his crippled throat and trying to inhale through his compacted and crushed trachea Yamcha's vision dims and objects dance in his field of view out of focus. Lumps of shattered cartilage move beneath his fingers as thin wisps of oxygen are drawn into his lungs, working his windpipe into a shape that allows for respiration to occur. Standing confidently above the one on the verge of defeat, a hearty chuckle echoes through the room from Vegeta. Yamcha lashes out a frantic kick in a last-ditch effort to retain some dignity from this fight and again strikes nothing but air. Hard leather slams into his grounded leg removing his support, Vegeta's kick strikes true and sends his opponent corkscrewing in the air. Mid revolution the left side of Yamcha's ribcage caves in from a swift chop spinning him around to face Vegeta's smirk as the warrior is still upside-down in the air. Quicker than is possible for Yamcha to dodge or recover a hand rises facing his stomach. A glimmer turns into a spark. The ki strikes the helpless man and blasts him into the wall of the training room next to the door and straight through it.

" Drokk it." Vegeta mumbles under his breath as the smoke clears and the 10ft wide path carved through the front of his house is revealed. Getting carried away in the moment this slight misjudgement has gutted the thankfully empty portion of his house that was unfortunate enough to be the direct line of fire. Splinters and embers drift down through the torn metal wall to the feet of the Saiyan as he steps out following the furrow carved through the floorboards of his house. Looking about he sees that is was probably a good thing that he pissed off the women because if they were sat watching him train as he knows they do then there might have been a few more casualties. The photo frame is still intact, balanced just on the edge of what is left of the table, if that were destroyed his son would never forgive him …he'll need to replace some of his furniture.

Wedged into a large boulder with his head that ploughed through many metres of ground still encased in the soil, Yamcha's arms crossed against his torso feebly hang down onto the crisped grass. Life saved by only just managing to block and deflect most of the power of the attack the form encased in rock flops out onto the superheated ground still smoking.

Trampling over the desecrated ruins, the weak charred timber disintegrating beneath his weight, he makes his way through the debris and out through an opening in his house that wasn't previously there. Such a ruckus has drawn the other occupants of the household to gawp at what has become of where they are living – rubble and devastation where the front door used to be. Quickly they put one and one together as they see the man slowly walking along the path of his blast to the downed warrior struggling to try and lift himself up onto his elbows. A flash of magenta darts out from in-between Ryoko and Ayeka. Washu rushes towards Yamcha, trying to get there before the looming menace beats her to him. She is too late, Vegeta's hand darts out down to him when she is but mere feet away.

With forethought about the state of Yamcha, Vegeta solicitously lifts the injured man back onto his feet and brushes him down. Scarcely able to keep himself up under his own power and still badly wounded, harsh rasps are all that escape from Yamcha's throat along with a copious trickle of blood. Coughing to clear his throat of his own windpipe stains Vegeta's clothing with crimson splatters. Washu arrives grabbing onto Yamcha and getting in the way between Vegeta and Yamcha, allowing the wounded warrior to lean on her to take the weight off his battered form.

" You fought well for a human, now go and hobble off with your woman. I have to clean up this little mess." Yamcha grimaces through the pain as he accepts Vegeta's handshake, a sign of no hard feelings between the two fighters as the injured one is lead away back into Washu's lab for some tender loving care and maybe some medical attention. Washu gives Vegeta a dark look, shooting daggers at him as she guides Yamcha back through the hole in the wall his body created and traverses between the three others stood gawking.

" What the devil's going on?! What have you done? There's a ruddy great big hole in your house and Yamcha is half dead, what have you to say for yourself?" Ayeka is flipping out, her mind still not decided on whether she has forgiven Vegeta or not. Ryoko and Sasami don't seem as agitated by this as the princess is. A brusque motion wipes the spat out blood off of Vegeta's blue raiment as he casually pivots around and sighs at the audience he has attracted. From outside he gets a true view of what damage he has caused, causing another swear word to escape from under his breath. He'll have to fetch the spare furniture he has stored in the loft down.

" Ok shows over, now go on about whatever it is you normally do. Unless you are, Kais forbid, going to do something helpful." With that last remark he gets two women glowering at him and nearly undoes all that work he did a few minutes ago. He cares little for their annoyance and more for the fact of their inherent laziness or lack of drive to do anything, idleness is one thing he cannot stand.

" Mr. Vegeta, I'll help."

" No Sasami. You do enough around the house with all the cooking unlike your freeloading sister and Ryoko." Sasami, who was quite eager to do something and help out, steps back, going off to find Ryo-ohki to play with.

" Grrr, how dare you compare me to the likes of this harpy!" Ayeka is taking this personally at his offhand remark, Ryoko couldn't care less as the irritation of Ayeka is music to her pointy ears. Vegeta simply shrugs.

" Why shouldn't I? Both of you are as bad as each other, can either of you name one thing you have done to aid this household?" This retort causes the princess to think, what has she done?

" Vegeta I bought all the alcohol and the karaoke machine - "

" Ryoko you got those with my money and only purchased them for your own benefit." The one-upmanship of the pirate is quickly cut down. Not one to give up so easily when it comes to outdoing the snobby princess, Ryoko phases behind Vegeta repaying his hug with one of her own. Floating off the ground with her arms wrapped around his bulk of muscles she whispers softly into his ear whilst her eyes fix on Ayeka slyly.

" C'mon, I'm sure there's something I can do to earn your favour that she'll never concede to do." Vegeta raises one of his eyebrow at this remark along with Ryoko's hopes, he seems interested or at the very least intrigued. Ayeka snarls.

" Yes, I can think of quite a few things Ryoko. …" The insinuations in his tone excites her, a giddy smile rises on her face. " … How about rebuilding my house for one?" Her smile fades quickly.

" Why would I do that? You're the one who went and broke it." He smirks and leans close to her and whispers into her ear.

" You don't seem to understand how _appreciative_ I would be if you aided me now …" His crafty words brings back the wide grin on her face. Merrily she flies off and tries to tidy up the debris as fast as she can, gleeful giggles erupting from her as she lifts up chunks of burnt lumber and starts piling it up. Vanishing back into his humble and smoking abode, Vegeta pops into existence behind the Juraian woman.

" Oh my would you look at that, looks to me like you're being outdone by Ryoko. How embarrassing for a high princess of Jurai to be beaten by a common space pirate." He chuckles at her, she turns glowering at him.

" You think me a fool? I will not be so easily manipulated into doing you bidding like some lap dog." Ayeka crosses her arms stubbornly and stares Vegeta down, he strides further into his house away from the princess then stands stock-still calculating his next plan of attack.

" Fine, suit yourself Ayeka but it'll be your loss. You see I was planning on bestowing a great reward upon the woman who helps the most today."

" What prize might this be? You're making this up on the spot to try and get me to tidy up your mess. Honestly, what could you offer to tempt me into debasing myself to such lowly chores."

" If you're not going to do anything then I guess Ryoko wins by default and the victor gets to spend the whole day tomorrow accompanying me as I go to West City." He has them right where he wants them, he can just afford to skip one day of training for the important business he has to take care of in the city he lived in for most of his time on this planet. Voicing it loud enough so even Ryoko busy in her toils hears and perks up immensely, her attached tail wagging excitedly, Vegeta leaves the tantalising bait on the hook. The speed at which Ryoko is working doubles, eager to impress the Saiyan prince. This is one thing however that Ayeka was not counting on, he has offered up to her a prize that she sorely wants. She cannot allow the villainous space pirate to win, who knows what she would try and do in that day alone with him. On the other hand if she tries to win the prize then Vegeta will have succeeded, she will be forced to do manual labour and he will know how token this mask of hostility she is displaying truly is.

The princess swallows her pride and concedes to what her heart is craving for her to do. Ayeka storms off past the smug smile of Vegeta saying that she will return when she has changed into attire more appropriate for the servant work. The Saiyan makes a quick note of her body language and attitude before stooping down and hauling several tons of mortar and wood up above his head. Casting it away from his house so it lands by the large pile of scrap Ryoko has made next to Ryuoh. Dusting his hands the job is completed effortlessly a quarter of an hour before Ayeka returns in clothes she deems fit for chores.

" Ayeka there is plant-life growing from inside your spaceship and its ki signature is a shadow of what it was when you first arrived here, were you aware of this?" Not surprised by the wreckage already being cleared but by this statement from Vegeta, Ayeka is dismayed by facing this news.

" Indeed I have, Ryuoh has taken root. The soil here is not as fertile or rich as that of Jurai and so it will wither and die, it will lose its power which allows Juraians to preserve themselves and live long lives." She is sad in acknowledging this slow death of the spaceship she has had since childhood and her loss of eternal youth.

" Guess you'll just have to get stronger so that you can use your own powers to stay in your youth, though I wouldn't be worrying about such a thing at your young age. What are you, twenty?"

" I turned 21 a few weeks before Ryoko attacked my spaceship a month ago. That was when I fled Jurai because I was old enough to marry Yosho. Hehe, you didn't hear her say that she was over 200 years old did you. Poor old Ryoko is the one who should be thinking about such things not me, ha-ha." The space pirate's ears twitch hearing her name being said and phases next to the two in conversation asking why they were talking about her.

" Ryoko's ki doesn't have the feeling of that amount of age. Ryoko exactly how old are you and how long ago do you think Frieza blew up my planet?" Ayeka's giggles continue when she sees the smile drop off of the rogue's face.

" You shouldn't ask a pretty young lady her age - "

" Then what's the problem with him asking you then?" Ayeka's retort provokes Ryoko's anger, Vegeta has to intervene to stop them from attempting to gouge each others eyes out. With an outstretched hand on their shoulders he keeps them from causing more destruction in the place he has just tidied up.

" Ryoko just answer my question, I'm 46 if that's any consolation." The Juraian princess looks thoughtful now she has found out that this man is over double her age, but age has never been a boundary for love. Ryoko sighs, knowing she will have to say the embarrassing truth concerning her age.

" Umm … I told you I was abandoned when I was young so I don't exactly know how old I am but my best estimate is …is two-two hundred and fifty seven, or thereabouts." She looks to Vegeta to see how he reacts, which he doesn't for that she is thankful. " As for when your planet was destroyed the first time I heard that news was maybe 90 years ago I think."

" As I thought, my planet was in fact destroyed in the same year Kakarot was born which was 37 years not 90. You are closer to one hundred not two hundred if we use this standardised galactic year. I'm not going to bother with precise calculations, you can pester Washu for that." Ryoko ponders upon this and seems very pleased that she has shed over a century from her age. Ayeka though won't leave well enough alone and continues to tease and mock her rival being 5 times older than she is. Bickering and arguing descends into yelling and snarling. The prince tires of holding them back and moves out from in-between them to outside his house, they lunge at each other. If their fighting skills were in a league closer to his own then Vegeta would enjoy watching their furious bout yet it bores him and he still has one last thing to do. Wooden beams materialise and fuse in place replacing those missing from the wall, DIY is much simpler when using ki. He shouts through the newly constructed wall that if their fighting continues then neither will get the privilege of a day out in the city, silence is the reply.

All of the damage caused by blasting a man through the front of his house has been repaired and from what he can hear he has the women using their spare time to be productive, life is good but one major thing he wants to do is calling to him. As he is about to contact the one person above all others he must notify of his return he is distracted by the muffled sound of feet touching down on the ground beside him.

" You're home early son, what've you done now?" The lavender haired youth absently kicks at a rock on the ground looking guilty. This isn't the first time that his son has had trouble at school and been sent home. Normally Bulma would deal with this side of his life and he the training but now there is only him and helping Trunks integrate into everyday society is not something Vegeta is particularly good at.

" I was expelled from school. I did what you always told me to do and those mean bullies won't be picking on me or Goten ever again though." Most parents would be disappointed or displeased that their child has managed to hospitalise over a dozen of his fellow classmates, Vegeta sees nothing wrong with how his son handled the situation however. A cunning idea forms in his mind to solve the matter of his son's education. Vegeta beckons for his child to follow him inside. Stepping through the doorway a little girl notices the premature arrival of the other of her age and walks up to him asking why. Sasami agrees that he shouldn't be punished for defending himself and his friend from bullies but keeps it to herself that she disagrees with the use of violence of such excessive force. The father of Trunks asks her to follow too as a growing smile spreads on his face, Sasami sees no reason not to and does. He leads the innocent children into the lair of the beast know as Washu, like sacrificial lambs they follow him, oblivious of what awaits them on the other side.

The scientist is busy finalising the application of healing salves and drugs to mend Yamcha after his little escapade. She hears footsteps approaching her position, only one person but the man on the slab before her dares enter her laboratory. Vegeta is not her favourite person at the minute after what he has done, not like she was ever too keen on this dominating man in the first place. Slow strides are followed by two additional pairs of feet walking briskly to keep up. The heavy footfalls of Saiyan boots stop behind her. Vegeta stands waiting for her as the two kids look about stupefied into this dark and mysterious world they have been led into. Washu grits her teeth in anger, the boldness of him to just waltz in when he nearly killed her precious Yamcha irks her immensely, sharply she turns to face him with a glare of womanly fury.

" What do you want Saiyan?" Emphasising the last word as if it were the most debasing and vulgar term in her expansive vocabulary, Washu spits these words at him. For Vegeta though being called the species he is could never be an insult, his undying pride for his near-extinct race prevents this, ignoring her he looks at the man apprehensively squinting from the medical table at him.

" Shame you aren't of Saiyan blood or you might be worthy of me fighting again after that beating. For a mere human though not too shabby." A weak smile appears on Yamcha's face, compliments from Vegeta aren't offered that often and should be savoured despite the cost to his body to receive it. " Woman, you are now in charge of my son's and Sasami's education."

" Hell if I'm going to do anything for you - "

" If you don't like it then you could always find another house to infest; the offer is stay and have this duty or decline and get out." Vegeta has her ensnared with this blackmail, if they thought he were allowing them to stay out of the kindness of his heart they greatly overestimated his capacity for such things. Growling under her breath, Washu doesn't break her stare with the prince, she isn't left with much choice unless the greatest mind in the universe feels like living in a cave. A tug from the fruit of his loins ends this staring competition as Vegeta looks down at Trunks.

" Hey Dad what about Goten, can he get taught by Miss Washu too?" Without consideration Vegeta agrees to this with a nod of his head, an additional bit of work and trouble for this pesky scientist sounds a good idea to him. He is truly enjoying pushing Washu's buttons and provoking her to see what she will do for he knows how limited her options are.

" You're forgetting one thing, I am Washu the greatest scientific mind in the universe not the greatest teacher. I don't even know what this planet even teaches to the poor kids who have to go the schools here." Such a feeble excuse, he expected more from her. Tutting under his breath his grin widens.

" Admitting to defeat already are we? I thought teaching would be of no trouble to someone who says she is so smart, or were those all idle boasts? I'm sure if it gets too much for your little brain to handle then Yamcha over there will be available to help you."

" C'mon Vegeta, what can I do? You know I was a bandit throughout all of my youth so never got an education or ought." The downed man pipes in with a hoarse rasp trying to get his say in the matter no matter how pointless it is trying to argue with someone as arrogant and insidious as who they are tenants to.

" Not my problem. If both of you want to stay in my house then you better do what I say." He is no longer in the lab, gone with the wind he leaves. Washu is left with a still battle weary man and two children looking up at her. The two kids seem quite excited by this prospect, Washu doesn't share their mood and sighs.

Content with the aggravation he has caused as a side product of sorting out the issue his son had created, Vegeta returns outside to do the thing that he has been dying to. Eyes closed and mind cleared his sixth sense drifts and wanders about the planet, seeking out his bane, the perpetual thorn in his side. One short telepathic communication later and the icy eyes of the Saiyan reopen. Muscular arms crossed across chest, he awaits for a reply from the clown. His burning desire to meet again with his arch-nemesis wells up within him, there is something he just has to find out.

A fizz in the air dead in front of Vegeta makes way for five humanoids Instant Transmissioning in response to his call. Goku's family appears, all five of them. The two muscle bound Saiyans march towards each other, a fierce glint of the flames of war burning in their eyes as they look at each other. The prince of this low class scum notices that his orders to come alone have been unheeded yet this defiance against his will goes unpunished for the time being. Like brothers in arms they welcome each other with a strong and firm handshake, within that vice-like grip Vegeta's worst fears are confirmed.

" Not hiding your face in disgrace in the dirt? That's a change from the last time I saw you. I assume now you have come you want to make up for that utterly humiliating defeat and try and get a shred of honour back for your pitiful family."

" Not today Vegeta, would be a shame if you nearly died on the same day you were revived. Probably we should find someplace to fight before we schedule another rematch."

" Yes, for when we fight the planet we're on will fare nearly as worse as you shall." Their knuckles whiten as they continue to tighten their handshake, testing the other and seeing who will give in first. Neither blinks nor moves a muscle save for the wry smiles playing on their faces. Chichi and Videl can't help but look on with worry for Saiyan might is never too far from being unleashed and wrecking havoc, but the two eternal rivals lose interest in this trivial feud when they are interrupted by Goten asking where his mate is. Vegeta dismisses the lad saying that his son's location is in Washu's lab and then realises he has to give the kid, who was unfortunate enough to inherit Goku's intellect, directions as to where that would be in his fairly large house.

Running off happily through the doorway in search of Trunks, Goten leads the way as the rest follow behind him at a more casual pace into Vegeta's hearth and home. Making himself comfortable on the lone remaining sofa by the Television that he did not inadvertently destroy earlier, Vegeta leaves his guests to make themselves comfortable. The thin fraying strands restraining Vegeta from starting an all out war against Goku are sorely tested when the other Saiyan sits next to him. Hands ravaged by the flames of countless scores of battle itch to form a fist and put Kakarot in his rightful place, somehow Vegeta manages to control his urges long enough for distractions to occur and take his mind off who he is sat next to.

Chichi takes the small space on the seat next to her husband just wide enough for her slim hips as two other women nearly trip over each other on their way into the room. Never a moments peace for Vegeta ever since he 'invited' Ryoko and Ayeka to live with him, something he only regrets doing half of the time he is awake. He tunes out the senseless drone of their voices as they continually pester him to see if he would like help with anything or needs anything. For the first time in his long and lonely life Vegeta experiences what his birth right should have naturally entitled him to, people waiting upon his every beck and call to carry out whatever whim enters his royal mind. Throughout most of his youth in-between missions he dreamt of moments like this, sitting on a throne in his castle with unparalleled power in his grasp and exotic beauties from the far reaches of the galaxy fawning over him. Now as an ever more bitter, wiser and mature warrior the duo of women fighting for his attention and praise makes him thankful that he was never granted this life of luxury and opulence.

Ryoko and Ayeka being in the same room as one another is a ticking time bomb ready to explode unexpectedly at any given moment much to the dismay of the prince. Pre-empting such an outbreak between the two of them he courteously declines both women in turn of what kind acts they wish to do to make his life easier. Graciously they accept this dismissal of their services and go in pursuit of other odd jobs that they could carry out to win this competition set before them. They'll be hard pressed to find any chores though as Sasami is diligent in the house work and efficiently carries out all work that the nanobots Bulma installed aren't programmed to or aren't capable of doing. Ryoko phases off upstairs on her quest whilst Ayeka scours the kitchen for any possible dirty spot left unnoticed she can clean.

Cricking his aching neck and flicking some loose strands of long ebony hair from his scarred visage, Yamcha walks into the room from the small doorway under the stairs greeting his long term buddy Goku. The kind heartened Saiyan is pleasantly surprised to find the desert bandit here and can't help but think why he is though. Puzzled by Yamcha's presence a question to probe this is about to leap from the tip of his tongue when a flash of pink hair follows the Z-warrior from her atelier of science. Yamcha sees the wonderings in his friend's eyes as the woman at his side links arms with him affectionately and explains his situation – how he came to become a man in a long term relationship (by his standards). He sneaks in a mountain of compliments to feed the egotistical nature of Washu and earn some brownie points in the process. Chichi has a few niggling doubts about how stable such a relationship will last between such radically different types of people but she wishes them the best of luck for they will need it.

" Wait, excuse me if this is rude, but Washu the last time we met I am positive you were a lot younger." Gohan's observant mind wouldn't allow him to drop this obvious change in age. Washu nods, she has come to expect these questions and can reel off the answers in her sleep she has had to use them that much. She puts them in the know about how she has conscious control over her age and uses it to revert herself to childhood or adulthood whenever she feels like taking that form. Upon hearing this one person in particularly is incredibly intrigued learning that such things are possible and would like to know more specifics about this technique. Chichi leaps out of her seat and vaults across the room, grabbing Washu and shouting for her to tell her how such a thing could be accomplished. The slow and cruel ravages of time being forever halted is a dream come true for this housewife bordering on middle-age who hates the fact her husband clearly ages a lot slower than she does – on top of that his seven years of being dead have only emphasised that to a further degree.

Goku calmly stands up and separates his frantic wife from Washu. He has told Chichi time and time again that he doesn't care about her outward appearance, yet personal vanity always wins over his heartfelt words. Quietly telling her to calm down and that she is embarrassing herself, he breaks her grip on the front of Washu's clothing and attempts to soothe his betrothed. For a few moments the frenzied part of Chichi's mind puts up resistance at Goku's efforts to remove her from this person who holds the secrets to youth eternal. As his wife's struggles diminish and die down against his overpowering strength Goku takes her back down to be seated when his son, Gohan, continues Chichi's line of enquiry.

" How is this possible? I've never heard of anything like this, even from the Kai's." She scoffs at the supposed omniscience of these mythological beings and boasts at how her knowledge far exceeds that of all of them combined. Goten, Trunks and Sasami then also leave the laboratory all holding a single piece of paper in their hands. Each child looks at their sheet with an extremely puzzled and confused look. Apparently the worksheets that Washu handed out to them to establish the level of learning they have reached might be a tad challenging. Goku's second son approaches his first brandishing the paper in front of him, asking for his big brother to help him out with it. Stroking his goatee, Gohan's jaw drops at a simple glance at the questions Goten was expected to know the answer to.

" Resonance cascade effect? Quantum tunnelling devices? Anti-mass spectrometers? This level of technology is far beyond anything that exists on Earth. I'm sorry Washu but I don't think anyone but you could answer these questions." His mind whirs as he tries to decipher what such wondrous devices and technologies could be and how they could aid the planet if he figured them out. Washu sighs.

" Really? Oh I thought it would be a good beginning spot for them. … I just don't have a clue what I should be teaching them."

" What do you mean teaching them?" This is news to Chichi and if it involves her child then she is all ears. With just a hint of dismay in his voice Yamcha briefly explains the little agreement that was made between him and Vegeta where he and Washu have been put in charge of educating the younglings in exchange for being allowed to stay here together. Washu chips in how it was such a _generous_ offer from him that they were so _delighted_ to accept with buckets of sarcasm pouring from her mouth.

" Yes it was, so don't push your luck. Now how about you just ask the damn kids what they were being taught at the time they were kicked out of school?" Vegeta will let her demeaning tone be forgiven this once but he shall remember it should she ever do it again, there are only so many second chances he can give to people. Washu concurs that his idea would be the most straightforward route, though a little unimaginative, and so asks Goten what was on the syllabus and then what that word means.

" Miss Washu we were learning about timesing big numbers together."

" Now tell me Goten, how big were these numbers in standard index form?"

" Ummm … they were two digit numbers, is that what you meant?" The exasperated sigh of Washu upon hearing how much she would have to debase herself to stoop to such a profoundly primitive area of arithmetic pleases Vegeta.

" Don't sound too disheartened, it's not like I asked you to teach Kakarot. That buffoon has to be the stupidest imbecile I've had the misfortune to meet." Goku laughs sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, agreeing that he does have a point and isn't that good when it comes to mathematics. With the adults occupied with this discussion now of intellectual capabilities and being told that they cannot do the work set for them, Trunks and Goten seize this opportunity to run off and go play outside in the bright sunshine. Soon the conversation boils down to Washu and Vegeta swapping stories from their days voyaging through space. Talking about planets they have visited, races they have met and in Vegeta's case what he wiped from the planes of existence. The Saiyan prince is enjoying relaying the news to Washu that around a quarter of her favourite destinations in space are no longer there either down to his handiwork or that of other mercenaries working for the Cold empire. Sasami, like the rest of the people in the room, is feeling left out of this weird dialogue and as the lads have gone and deserted her she announces that she'll start to prepare dinner.

The ears of the two Saiyans twitch at the mere mention of food and hungrily listen to the footsteps of the young cook entering the kitchen. With their attention divided, Goku and Vegeta continue their conversations but all the time listening out to the sound of pots and pans clattering, knives carving meat and broths bubbling. Videl, who is still very new to this world of powerful alien races and intergalactic quests through the final frontier, excuses herself to go and aid the azure haired princess of Jurai. Vegeta's amplified Saiyan hearing ability also catches the sound of two other women in the kitchen and so the well ordered regime of Sasami's cooking is thrown into anarchic chaos. Try as he might to drown out the feminine voices drifting from the kitchen he can't help but overhear every single word being said. Amidst the rows of plates set up by the juvenile culinary prodigy the space pirate Ryoko subtly sidles up to the young fiancée of Gohan.

" You're Videl right? The girlfriend to that Gohan fellow, he's part Saiyan isn't he so … what's it like with a Saiyan?" Not too quietly she inquires cheekily to the confused Videl.

" Huh? What what's like?" A wicked grin manifests on Ryoko's face, she steps closer to Videl. With dark insinuations lying deep within her eyes she leans in and whispers into Videl's ears. As all becomes clear to Videl a very deep crimson blush creeps across her cheeks hearing the filth Ryoko is susurrating. Finished clearing up any ambiguity in her previous question, Ryoko looks with a predatory, feline gaze at the young woman hungrily awaiting a response.

" I-I …I don't know what you're talking about." Such a shamefaced answer from an extremely personal and intimate question is not what the cyan haired rogue wanted to hear. She continues to push and persist poor Videl for any little secrets about the nocturnal habits of a certain species. The raven haired daughter of Mr. Satan keeps on denying Ryoko access to such private information and blushes more and more from the deep embarrassment of the brash and bold way she is being asked these things. Out of the two other females in the kitchen Sasami is oblivious as to what Ryoko is getting at with the protective barriers of childhood innocence stopping the dirt of Ryoko's mind staining her but Ayeka on the other hand does not like what she is hearing. The high princess of Jurai will not stand to overhear such muck and storms over to stop it and save Videl from the insistent bullying and probing of Ryoko. However, as soon as the buccaneer's attention is moved from Videl it instantly latches onto Ayeka and she begins to have some more fun. Demure Ayeka is not prepared for this.

" What, oh psh princess, you were thinking the exact same thing and I know it. We're both women so it's nothing to be ashamed of. You do want a hot night of steamy passion with Vegeta too am I right?" Ayeka violently shakes her head in denial at these words. Her whole face flushing bright red, a lot more than the person they are discussing who's face is also reddening at what he overhears.

" NO! No, no I am a princess of Jurai. A lady of class and stature not a woman of such loose morals, I … I do not have such base thoughts as the likes of you." The two rivals of love are solely fixed on each other now allowing for Videl to escape and take Sasami with her as the complex preparation for the meal is done now, all that is left is to wait for the food to cook.

" Are you sure? Come now Ayeka don't play little prissy princess with me, I can see straight through this act of yours. It's pathetic really. Remember during all those nights when you had those certain _special_ dreams? Well I heard you." The purple haired royal is taken aback by this humiliating notion and she blushes a great deal more.

" LIAR! Y-you're just making that up! I - " Ryoko phases behind Ayeka, quietly talking into her ear.

" Oh poor Sasami, such a young girl being kept awake at night because of her sister and the foul things she screams in the night."

" STOP IT! Stop! Shut up. You harlot!"

" Hey, no need to get your knickers in a twist, just saying the truth. Does this jog your memory at all Ayeka?" Ryoko then proceeds to mimic Ayeka's voice and make exaggerated groans and sighs throwing in Vegeta's name in every now and then along with some other choice exclamations. Whether her furious wrath is directed at such an affront to her as a pure maiden or the deep set embarrassment of her forbidden thoughts being said aloud doesn't matter to Ayeka, all that matters is that she shuts Ryoko up. The two are about to lunge and begin round two of their catfight when the prince decides he has had enough. His ears burning from things he really did not want to be hearing whilst trying to entertain guests at the same time, Vegeta shouts from his seat into the kitchen to silence the quarrelling pair.

" RYOKO! AYEKA! Will you two shut up and when is food going to be ready?" He sinks back into his seat satisfied when he hears a peaceful hush from the kitchen followed by clumsy crashes of pots and pans. Ryoko and Ayeka have been thrown into disarray, reminded of their original reason to be in this room but they have just found out that what they have been saying is now also known by Vegeta. Ayeka feels so humiliated and embarrassed, a hell of a lot more than Ryoko who is quietly snickering to herself. The elfin eared reprobate has no feelings of guilt or shame over the eavesdropping but is rather cheerful that it is out there in the open ready to be acted upon, much unlike the highborn Ayeka biting her nails in dread.

The racket that is the pandemonium occurring when you leave two women who can't cook in the kitchen to supervise the cooking foods dies down after a few minutes. Nostrils twitch as Saiyans detect food ready for consumption in close proximity. The wooden door to the kitchen opens and closes as princess Ayeka goes to tell the expectant guests that food is being served when, just as she enters the front room, Ryoko's voice booms from the kitchen the exact news she wanted to tell. Mumbling at how rude shouting in a house is, Ayeka still escorts Chichi, Washu, Yamcha and Videl into the dining area of the kitchen for the Saiyans are already sat down staring at the plates of steaming food looking like a pack of ravenous wolves over a fresh kill. Barely managing to control their primal urges to consume all in their path, the Saiyan's remain in their seats, patiently awaiting for all to be sat down before tucking in. Trunks is enjoying being sat next to his dear father for a family meal even with some of the dishes slightly burnt or not on par with what Sasami would be capable of is she was left on her own with no one else meddling. The lavender haired youth was enjoying it till his place by his father is usurped by Ryoko phasing and floating in the gap between his and Vegeta's chairs. With a woman on either side of him Vegeta ignores the comments he heard earlier. Every time his plate is devoid of food or his glass empty either Ryoko or Ayeka take it upon themselves to see his insatiable appetite is appeased, all of their offers of food to him are greedily snatched up and devoured instantly without a word.

An adequate meal cooked mainly by a pirate and a princess very unskilled at such domestic duties is quickly engulfed by the gluttonous quintet of Saiyan blood. Before the last plate is cleared the rivals contending against each other are stumbling over each other to be the first to clear away all the dishes, breaking quite a few in the process. Between the apologies for the ruined ceramics and rustle of dresses, Vegeta pretends not to notice all this hard effort the women are putting in due to him. His thoughts are if they see he isn't paying attention then they shall try harder and push themselves further and show what they are truly capable of.

Not much time has passed since they arrived, well under an hour, but the guests feel they have outstayed their welcome – mainly Goku because if he is around Vegeta for long amounts of time then all hell is sure to be set loose. They stand up from the table still being cleaned and Vegeta leads them on their way outside and says a short goodbye to who he wants to crush under his boots like a bug. Whilst being thanked for his 'hospitality', Washu takes this opportunity to attempt and expand her near infinite database on all organisms. A shout of terror rises from Goku when he sees the hypodermic needle clutched in her hand, his crippling phobia for this needle was unjustified as it is in fact aimed at the youngest of his sons not himself. Caught in the act red handed, she freezes with the sedative so close to being injected into its intended victim. The other fully matured woman turns and coldly looks at the one who seems to be threatening her beloved child. Then the menace and rage rise in her eyes.

Lucky for Washu her guardian angel is on standby to protect her. Yamcha moves in-between the two women and takes the blow that would easily split a boulder to his jaw. He rubs the side of his face where the punch landed and keeps the angry Chichi from harming Washu.

" Woah, bit protective aren't we. No need to be alarmed though, all I was trying to do was bridge a gap in my database by analysing a Saiyan-human hybrid. You should see this as an honour that your son will have the privilege of being memorialised within my databanks. " Washu peeps over Yamcha's broad shoulders when trying to explain why she was doing what she was. For some reason though the words coming out of Chichi's mouth are a resounding no concerning consenting for Goten to be a guinea pig at her mercy. Once again Goku has to pacify the acute maternal instincts of his missus. With her calmed down and reluctantly letting Washu off the hook, Chichi follows her husband out of their house and holds his hand as they Instant Transmission back to their own household.

Vegeta is still thinking about what he found out from this meeting with Goku. He knew his suspicions would be proved true but not by such a degree ... and then there is the matter of them. A long sigh escapes through his teeth. He turns around to look at the duo behind him. All throughout that meal Ayeka's cheeks always held some colouration to them and now with his intense gaze on her it intensifies into a strong blush yet again. He knows what is coming. He tasked them with something and promised them a reward so now he shall have to deliver on his promise, he is a man of his word after all. Cracking the knuckles of each finger and every vertebrae of his back as he walks over to Ryoko and Ayeka, he braces himself. Seeing the expectant look in the eyes of both women he realises that he might not have been keeping count of what they have been doing. Meeting both of their eyes he begins.

" Both of you have actually managed to pull your own weight and you await the final verdict. You want to know who has done the most work, who shall receive the prize? …." Ryoko and Ayeka hold their breath in anticipation. This one moment they have been working so hard for is at hand. Vegeta smiles and looks at both women in turn, then looks down at his hands and one by one slowly counts on his fingers each thing the women have done. Both women sweatdrop. After slowly mumbling under his breath their chores and coming to a conclusion he looks back up to them.

" Interesting … . Ayeka, high princess of Jurai, …" He focuses his stare on her as her face lights up. " … how does it feel to know that you have … " She smiles joyfully, waiting to hear him say those last words and announce her triumph over Ryoko. " … somehow managed to do the same exact amount of work as Ryoko." Ayeka's face drops. Both women look shocked at each other, this is most unexpected. As their eyes meet they harden and teeth grit. A row starts as to who did the more important jobs or did it to a better quality. Vegeta quickly interrupts them and the altercation spewing from their mouths.

" Be quiet the both of you, I'm sure the city will be able to cope with both of you accompanying me tomorrow." They forget their quarrel, although not their preferred outcome, they are overjoyed and immensely happy at the prospect of a day out with him. Vegeta's tongue moved faster than his brain, the city might be able to handle both Ryoko and Ayeka but he is having serious doubts as to whether he can for a full 24 hours.


	10. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 10: Day 35

Chapter 10

One thing to do in the city. That is all Vegeta cares about. The rest of the day he has stupidly resigned himself over to what Ryoko and Ayeka wish to do in their first venture into a human settlement. He would much prefer training than wasting precious time loitering about West City and more than likely having to keep both women in check for the whole duration of the visit. He curses his stupidity at what he said the evening before, but in hindsight he thinks that having both under his supervision is better than leaving one in his house to stew in a broth of jealousy and envy. Vegeta has lived through worse days, much worse, but that doesn't make his growing sense of foreboding over this trip recede from the forefront of his mind.

Throwing on one of his slightly worn out leather jackets, jeans and t-shirts he is ready for the day. He already made the mistake of walking about in public in his Saiyan training gear once. The stares following him, watching him go about his business and laughing behind his back. He recalls that being a day when the hospital in West City saw a sharp rise in number of patients who suffered from trauma sustained in what was chalked down to vehicle related injuries. Next time they shall think twice before mocking the prince of Saiyans. As is expected he is ready long before the two accompanying him are, a full half hour he waits meditating. Why they put such effort into their appearance and not into strengthening themselves still baffles him, females remain as much an enigma to him as they were when he first met Bulma.

Ayeka is the first to appear out of his front door. He told her earlier when he woke up not to dress too extravagantly or else they will draw attention to themselves, apparently he should have also told her that no one else on the planet wears ornate or elaborate robes like they must do on Jurai. She feels her outfit is the most 'normal' in her wardrobe and Vegeta would probably have to agree with her on that: a long and flowing dark purple kimono with blue cuffs and collar all tied back with a green and red bow around her waistline. They exchange pleasantries and greetings, he notices her eagerness and can't blame her for apart from his house there is only one other place on his planet she has seen. Her happy mood soon sours when the second woman walks towards them.

A simple knee length black dress. One single thin red line sprouting from her left shoulder spirals down her dress meeting and terminating at the cut running up and exposing her right thigh. Ryoko once again has attempted to tame her hair back in a ponytail but the wild spikes still mostly prevail and, as per Vegeta's instructions, has not got her tail accessory adorning her slender waist. The Saiyan prince greets the final person making up their party and with that takes both women's hands in his own and uses Instant Transmission to take them to the antipode of where his house is located. As the three forms vanish from the lakeside Yamcha, Trunks, Sasami and Washu bid them adieu from the threshold. Right on schedule a blip appears on the horizon. This small black dot swoops across miles of terrain growing in size. Covering the many leagues that lie between his house and that of his best mate Trunks, Goten arrives.

With the whole class all punctual and here the two lovers look down at the three children beaming at them expectantly. Although he kindly offers whatever assistance he can provide to Washu she dismisses his aid, preferring to go solo for the first lesson. With shoulders slumped in defeat, the woman with the intellect to rival that of all people on Earth combined reluctantly trudges towards her lab with the kids in tow. They follow her through her dimensional gateway to receive the education they were promised … whilst Washu racks her mind for plans of such cunning ingenuity and guile to alleviate this burdensome task from her magnificent mind. Over a hundred ideas are generated and discarded as she continues to lead them into the deeper and darker depths of her cherished laboratory.

Yamcha has the house to himself, if you don't count the two feline creatures that are nowhere to be seen. With his help not needed, no pressing issues to contend with and, more importantly, no Saiyan hogging the artificial gravity room he goes to train. Practise makes perfect as they say, but practise all he might Yamcha knows there is a very large glass ceiling separating him from those with Saiyan blood running through their veins. He might never be able to save the day or be of any use should anyone choose to attack his homeworld but to him those are no reasons to stop. Just like Vegeta, training his body to be the ultimate weapon is his life and all he has ever really known. Being a professional sportsman might have held many benefits but when there is no challenge to the game the cries and shouts of adoring fans soon turned to hollow echoes rattling round his skull. Only the occasional fight on the pitch would abate his ennui but now he has the facilities to train and someone to fight for. Yamcha would have traded all the wealth he accumulated as the best baseball player the world will ever see, the fame and all his possessions that were stripped from him for a woman to love him without a second thought. Although he knows every single martial art in existence, at 250 times the Earth's natural gravity he goes over every single move and teaching for Washu.

Minutes tick by and the strength ebbs out of his body from the extreme conditions of the room. Weariness and fatigue set their deep roots into his flesh, draining from him his will and ability to continue. He switches off the machine creating the gravity and warms down his muscles before exiting. Yamcha flicks the beads of sweat from his eyes and runs his hands through the thick strands of his mane. Opening his eyes he backs away from a face right in front of his own. Washu had been waiting behind the door leading out of the training chamber for only a bit to startle him and smiles happily from the success of her little jape. She says hello to him whilst he recoils from her sudden appearance, she seems extremely pleased about something and it is unnerving him .

" Uhh yeah, hi. I was just thinking about you." He starts most conversations to Washu with those last few words, just to make life for himself easier. " Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the little tykes and teaching them stuff?" A cold, unseated fear drifts over him as he witnesses her heavenly and lusciously rosy lips morph into a sly grin.

" HAHA! That Vegeta thought he had outsmarted me but he forgot that I, Washu, am the greatest and most beautiful intellectual to ever live. He merely tasked me with such a simple thing as giving those children an education but never in which way to do it." Yamcha starts to think to himself he shouldn't have left poor, innocent children with his mistress of knowledge. " Right this second they are having bestowed upon them all the knowledge that they require from one of my old brilliant inventions! I called it Washu's cranial data convection helm of scholarship! I whipped this baby up 7 centuries ago and revolutionised learning in five solar systems and now it frees me from such a menial and debasing task, Mwuhahahahahahahah!" The manic cackles of a mad scientist do little to reassure Yamcha about the health and wellbeing of the children in their care. He shouldn't have left them at the mercy of her. Washu's cackles are really beginning to freak him out, the crazed eyes and Cheshire smile warping his beloved's face.

" What is it Yamcha? Is something wrong?" She has noticed the weird and fearful way in which he is now looking at her. As she looks at him with raised eyebrows and a questioning look he starts to panic. The truth would definitely not be the right thing to say in this situation so Yamcha thinks fast.

" Oh…err. .. nothing's wrong. How could anything be wrong when you're here. It's just that once again you astound me with your brilliance … and have a very cute laugh." He appeals to her massive inflated ego, the one sure thing guaranteed to work and that it does. Washu's face smiles at him. He weakly smiles back.

" You know flattery will get you everywhere." Her smile holds none of the earlier manic glee and he lets the breath he had been holding escape in relief. Washu is always one to repay a good deed with another and so in appreciation for his kind words she affectionately hugs him tightly, he returns the favour embracing her also and tenderly kissing her gently on the flawless skin of her neck.

Meanwhile Vegeta, Ryoko and Ayeka spawn into existence in some quiet suburban alleyway. As always Ayeka has a slight adverse reaction to the instantaneous form of transport, as she winces in discomfort the space pirate looks about the dark and dingy guinnel trying to glimpse what this world has to offer. Ayeka goes to move her hand to her aching stomach as Ryoko tries to take off and fly out of the darkness into the sunlit street. Both fail simultaneously. Ayeka's hand and Ryoko's are still being held onto by Vegeta from the Instant Transmission. They look down to see their fingers interlocking his coriaceous, gloveless digits. Vegeta knows what he is doing, he hasn't suddenly had a massive change in his scarred blackness of a heart but just wanted to grasp their attention. That he certainly has as well as causing slight colour to grace their cheeks at this touch.

" There are some basic rules you must comply with whilst in my company here, I shall not hesitate to take either of you back should you misbehave. Under no circumstances will you fly or show off any of your powers that these weaklings are incapable of, understand Ryoko?" Vegeta is stern and serious, today is not a day he wishes to be messed about by the natives. Any unwanted attention might cause people to recognise who he is, not a public figure but still he was the husband of Bulma Brief the head of Capsule Corporation … and the man who murdered hundreds at the last world tournament in front of television cameras.

" Hey, why me?" Ryoko looks disheartened at not being able to use her favourite form of travel, she always feel so liberated and free when her feet aren't touching the ground.

" You were just about to fly out of this passageway, were you not?" Ryoko nods, unenthusiastically agreeing to the laws he is laying down. A small price to pay for Vegeta to hold hands with her and stay with her for a full day. The modest princess never planned on such extravagant conduct when out in public but there is one thing she has been thinking about though.

" Lord Vegeta will we not stand out at all, some of us do have rather striking appearances." Vegeta thought for a second she might have had something constructive to say, not something fuelled by vanity.

" Why thank you Ayeka for noticing. But no need to worry about my beauty, I'm used to the attention." Gripping Vegeta's hand with both of hers and pulling closer to him, Ryoko annoys Ayeka by turning her statement against her.

" Ha, what utter drivel. The only reason people look at you are those massive and, quite frankly, ridiculous ears of yours." The aforementioned appendages twitch, sticking clean out of the unsuccessfully ponytailed hair of Ryoko. Vegeta can see just where this day is destined to end up. Ryoko strikes back. This insult will not be met with an offhand remark or trading of witticisms, releasing one of her delicate hands from Vegeta she then proceeds to throw herself at him. Caressing him with the dark sleeves of her costume wrapping around the prince's well built chest.

" Vegeta, Ayeka's being mean to me. You don't think my ears look silly do you?" The prince of all Saiyans does not appear to be amused. It has been less than a minute and the bickering has already begun. Looking up to the face of Ryoko with her feigned innocence and across to the growling princess of Jurai, Vegeta chooses to amend the rules he set.

" Can both of you try and behave yourselves? It's not much to ask is it? For this one day: no fighting, no arguing and try to get along." He watches as both women's eyes continue to linger on the other, neither breaking this glare.

" OK! Let's go!" Ryoko stops glowering and just smiles contently at Vegeta. Ayeka does not fail to notice the extreme proximity of Ryoko to Vegeta or how she is nuzzling closer and resting her cheeks on his broad shoulders. The Saiyan doesn't seem to mind the cyan haired beauty clinging onto him and it seems to be keeping her quiet and out of trouble which is all fine by him. However, he is not so blind as to see this is only pleasing one of the two women whereas the other's eyes are boring maliciously straight into the back of Ryoko, very evil thoughts being directed that way. Vegeta is seeing this situation to only have one viable solution, to treat both women perfectly equally.

" Come now." With Ayeka's hand still in his he pulls her in closer. She is startled at finding herself face to face with him, her body next to his with an arm offered towards her. Her pretty face starts to warm and glow at this gesture as she accepts it and slowly links arms with Vegeta. Hesitantly she looks at him to see if he is Ok with such a public show of affection but as always his face yields as much emotion as a the brick wall behind him. Ryoko frowns for a few seconds seeing this but in the end decides that she is the one hugging Vegeta and all Ayeka is doing is linking arms so soon becomes happy again as they take their first steps to leave this grimy alley. Leading the way into the sun's rays and straight into a bustling street full of humans going about their business with a woman in tow on either side of him, Vegeta heads off on his way striding purposefully towards his objective within this city he previously resided in. The hubbub of urban life distracts all homo sapiens briskly walking past and overtaking the three aliens. Blinded to these strangers in their midst by the blinkers of modern day living, not a single person stops to observe their surroundings for if they did then they would be treated to the sight of a Saiyan prince strolling down the high street with a Juraian princess and a notorious pirate from beyond the stars. Human civilisation may be at its pinnacle, a glistening spectacle of technology, yet both Ayeka and Ryoko have seen wonders from the heavens that by far surpass this city.

With the duo attached to him still surveying these new surroundings and taking it all in, Vegeta arrives at his first port of call. A small one story shop sandwiched in between towering skyscrapers, looking nearly as out of place as he does in this environment. As he walks towards the doorway of the shop, princess and pirate see the magnificent arrays of flowers and flora displayed in the window. He is taking them into a florist's, the name of this establishment long since faded from the worn and aged wooden sign hanging above the door the trio walk through. Striking their nostrils is the heady aroma arising from the multitude of multi-coloured blooms. Once past the entranceway Vegeta disentangles himself from the females and heads to the counter and begins placing his order in a hushed tone. The stout and diminutive fellow, a full head shorter then the prince, in a simple brown overcoat and flat cap disappears off into the back to fetch Vegeta's order. Turning around and leaning on the weathered and jaded ash counter a very slight smile plays across the face of the warrior, seeing the women so enraptured and engrossed by the natural beauty of the beauteous blossoms covering every wall of this cosy shop. Without his eyes leaving the charming womenfolk now turned to face his way his hand slips into his pocket and retrieves from it several green tinted bits of rectangular paper with many markings on it, the idea of paper based currency is not one common to many planets except for Earth, and places them down on the counter. Rustling out of the back room carrying the bouquet of flowers, the short and stocky shop keeper takes the money and the exchange is complete. Picking up his purchase he strides back towards the women, they seem incredibly jubilant at his approach brandishing flowers.

" Oh Lord Vegeta they are most splendid, they remind me just of the flowers that grew around the palace gardens back on Jurai."

" Hey! He bought those for me not some snotty, jumped up despot. Isn't that right Vegeta?" The smile falls from his face as the usual, inescapable squabbling is soon to escalate. The whole world does not revolve around either of them as much as they like to think so.

" These flowers are for none of you so stop with this incessant babbling." That intrigues the women as well as silencing them. Only thinking about themselves and this special day of theirs they fail to see the bigger picture, but one other person exists whom he would offer flowers to and they dwell nearby. Looking the other way and pretending to be busy with his stock, the shop keeper sees it as in his best interest to ignore this little domestic and forget about these strange customers still in his store. Stuffing the bouquet's base into one of the pockets on the back of his pair of jeans he once again extends his arms out to be taken by Ayeka Jurai and Ryoko the pirate. The two of them both are just a tad unsure when intertwining their arms with his, bedevilled by this mystery of the person Vegeta thinks deserves the romantic gift of flowers more so than either of them. As soon as they have made contact with him Vegeta continues on his way, not waiting to dispel the doubts building in their minds or answer the questions flying around their heads. Vegeta maintains a hard and fast pace, urgency lending itself to his strides as they round corner after corner, turning this way and that till the building is in front of them.

Large and yellow is the hemispherical building they find themselves at, rings of windows dotting around the circumference and two prominent and jutting towers on the roof. Above the double doors is the name of the company headquarters they are at, painted in big bold letters it reads 'Capsule Corporation'. What was once his house is not where he is looking, the steely eyes of the prince are locked firmly on the small, gladed alcove hidden away in the far corners of the expansive gardens. The feet of the Saiyan do not move for a full minute, rooted to the spot as an inundation of memories flood themselves mercilessly before him. The best years of his life were here in this place, where he shed himself of solitude and took on the mantle of a husband and a father. A mere bitter reminiscence of happier times and days long since in the past. A boot falls falteringly in front of the other. The pronounced musculature of his Saiyan being is tense as it normally is when on the cusp of battle. Petite fingers squeeze his hand in a comforting manner. Her reassuring smile gives him the much needed boost of confidence to face what he must confront, Ayeka releases her hand from his and stands back to give him the room and privacy he obviously wants. Such a slight nod from Vegeta's head directed at her as his feet start on the path across the verdant emerald lawn and Ryoko disentangling herself from him along the way looking bemused at what is happening.

Barred from their view by the pruned Leylandii hedges skirting around this most special area, Vegeta gently pulls out his offering from the back of his scruffy jeans and kneels down, bowing his head. Purest white as virgin snow are the bunch of roses within his well used fists, their sharp thorns failing to pierce his hardened hide much unlike something else. Petals fall like snowflakes, drifting down gracefully before hitting the cold, hard stone and settling there for evermore to wither and decay. Smatterings of colour punctuate the immaculate bouquet, brightest cerulean and a golden centre. Forget-me-nots the people of Earth call them, Vegeta cares little for the symbolism behind these dying stalks but the colour reminded him of her hair and those deep and caring eyes. The flowers thud onto the grave. Stone stares back at him, the words etched onto the tomb his only company. For the first time in a year he has returned to pay his respects to Bulma, a deep wrenching within bleeds afresh. Her parents have kept the gravesite well tended, no dirt or overgrowth to mar where she lays. The anniversary of her death came and passed him by during his own visit to the realm beyond life.

" … I'm here … ." Words escape him as all his view is taken up by that of the burial place of who was once his wife before Death wrenched her from him. " … I … I miss you. … We all do … .Not a day goes by where my thoughts don't go out to you and the life we shared together." Eagle like vision becomes clouded and blurred. " Trunks … , our son, … he needs you, as do I. Why did it have to be this way? … I should have been the one taken if there were any justice left in this universe save for that fool Kakarot… . He was the damn one who used up the antidote before you had a chance to synthesise more, we should have prepared. I should have thought about such things instead of being so blinded by my petty-mindedness, what good is my strength if I can't even protect my wife from micro-organisms. … You should have told us you were ill and suffering. You didn't though, you kept it to yourself … why? Why, WHY?! WWWHHHHYYYYYY?!" Light erupts into the heavens, a flash of lightning bursting forth as his true form is unchained. Lengthened spikes of shining gold fall down his shoulders and face as grief tightens its pitiless grip. " Never did you get to see me like this … to you I shall always be second best to Kakarot: the failure, the disappointment and you deserved better than that. … I swear - I swear on your honour and memory that I will protect your planet and Trunks, my life is nothing if I cannot do these things for you. I will make sure he grows up to be a strong fighter like me … and as smart and amazing as you were." His hands resting on the grave are careful not to shatter or break the fragile stone, rubbing the growing moisture blinding his sight he sees a glowing red imprint. Solid marble warped and deformed under the energy barely contained in his body. A palm print, his palm print beneath the clichéd epitaph. Standing up straight he recoils away before he can cause more damage, it seems the only thing he is good at is leaving a blazing path of destruction in his wake. Beauty is taken by flames until a smouldering pile of ashes is all that is left on top of her grave, falling petals turned to embers. Ragged breaths erupt out of his throat as he tries to control the raging emotions within him or else he will forfeit what minimal control he has over the ki radiating from being in the third state of super Saiyan.

Whooshing from air displacement and the swishing sound of movement in a dress, the two new women in his life have come to check on him. Neither expected the splendour of his super Saiyan 3 transformation, but fear it they do not. Flashes of brilliance spark and flare dangerously as he illuminates the vicinity, they cease when he feels the touch of their hands on the beefed up muscles of his shoulders. Shrinking back down so he is shorter than Ryoko again, muscle mass decreasing and hair shortening and raising, he turns to look at them as a man not a legend. After briefly explaining to Ryoko what she had observed to be the case for their visit to this place and witnessing all the clouds in the sky being burnt out of existence, Ayeka thought it was for the best if maybe just this once Vegeta was not alone. If he feels anything like she did during that long and hard month during his departure from the mortal coil then he surely will welcome his loneliness being abated, for Vegeta she will ignore Ryoko's presence for the time being. A time to mourn and respect the dead is not one the Saiyan prince really wants people to see him at, attributing any show of emotion to physical weakness as it was drilled into him all those decades ago by his father. A father who is also deceased. All he has left is his son and Kakarot, debating it in his mind possibly the ones stood by him also.

" Lady Ayeka, Ryoko. Th - …This is my wife, Bulma, or her remains. As I can't meet her in the afterlife this is all I will ever have of her, that and my son." His fingers point like a gun towards the place of internment, his eyes following achingly with a desperate pining hidden in the frosty depths of his facial apertures. " I … I have said my piece now, there is no point in lingering here and -"

" Lord Vegeta, I could say a prayer for her soul if you would like." A kind offer, it is the least she can give to him in this state of bereavement. Ryoko vanishes, uncomfortable with this situation that cuts too close to the bone - for just over a day ago she was in the exact same shoes as her prince is now. Not wanting to be reminded of her inner pain and anguish she flees, leaving him alone with Ayeka. Vegeta's cold, black stare loses its soft edge of tenderness and loving; thick set brows frown and veins stand out on his forehead.

" A prayer to whom, to the gods of Jurai? Some pathetic cult?! An impotent deity?! Who? Come on don't be shy, for all you know I could have met them in my travels in the afterlife. Wait, no. No. THERE IS NO HIGHER BEING! Three times I have been to that fucking place and no gods or goddesses have I heard mentioned, let alone seen. What good is a prayer when there is no one to hear it, let alone care about it? If such things as gods exist then they long ago forsook me to this damned existence." Such an outburst of his built up frustration and wrath scares the princess, religious views are an extremely bad topic for someone who only recently got out of eternal damnation. Suffering, torment, agony and excruciating mind breaking pain; flashes of how his fate differs so much from the goody two shoes Goku erupt through his brain. Aghast with the implications of what he is saying, Ayeka is struggling to think straight. All her life she has believed in that of the Great Goddess Tsunami who watches over all of Jurai granting her people power and prosperity in her benevolent guidance. In one fell swoop Vegeta tears down her unquestionable faith, how can one argue against someone who has seen the other side. Pants of aggravation carve from in-between his grating teeth. Gradually he calms himself and his breathing reverts back to silent inhalations, he didn't mean to lose his cool like that but such things as Hell scar a man's mind.

" I - I didn't mean to offend you Lord Vegeta, … i - it's just … I was only trying to - " Feeling as if she is in the wrong and needing to apologise to him, for he is the one lamenting over his deceased wife, she tries to think of anything to say. Whilst all the time she is trying to cope with the undeniable fact that, according to Vegeta, Tsunami does not exist and never did. Her mind is still in disarray and the Saiyan sees that, messing with someone's views on the world or their beliefs is something he did not intend.

" Sorry Lady Ayeka, I got carried away. What would I know of gods when I see but the infernal half? You believe what you want to and it would please me if you prayed for Bulma." A hackneyed apology. How the tables turned so quickly, she came to see if she could comfort a husband at his wife's tombstone yet now it is he who has to offer the reassurance since he pulled the rug from beneath her feet. Dirt gets onto her impeccably polished shoes as she shifts her feet, her head bowed facing the grass and dainty fingers clasped together in front of her stomach. Glancing up at him her amethyst eyes move across to the slab marked with the hand of Vegeta, she nods silently and steps towards him and Bulma's well maintained grave. Muttering the prayer under her breath she does what little she can and receives a warmish smile from Vegeta as thanks. The solemn atmosphere wanes as a slight hiss expulses air where Ryoko now stands holding something in her two hands. Replicating what Vegeta did, she places them on the tombstone and stands back up, wincing as she looks at her pricked fingers.

" Ryoko, those flowers are from my - Bulma's parent's garden, are they not?" With clumps of damp soil still clinging to the uprooted flowers it is not difficult to decipher where she got them from. Still not used to any of the customs of this planet, like a small child she copied the behaviour of the others around her in an attempt to fit in. Those feline eyes of hers look at him expectantly to see if she did the right thing or not. Blood runs down her fingers and drips down onto the turf right next to the monument of Bulma's lack of life. A simple curt nod directed at her and her efforts tell her she has done right, or moderately so – Vegeta is pleased that his wife's grave has a tribute of flowers on them after he inadvertently incinerated the first lot. " That is that. I do not want to talk about this for the rest of the day, … now I … I am yours for the remainder of this day." Beckoning them to his side again their faces are happy once more after the sombre affair. Vegeta methodically wipes away the liquid released from the sharp thorns of the roses from Ryoko's hands, her skin is nowhere near as leathery or hardened as his because of the holocausts he has lived through and caused. The triad saunter off out of Capsule Corporation grounds and into the city.

" … and so simply by carrying over the googolplex to the power nine I substituted the Xenium for the less stable Tiberium. Which I transmogrified at a molecular level to exponentially extend its half life to around 15.57 times its original value and reverse the polarity of its neutron flow. Incorporating these into the core central processing units of the picochips allowed the super computer to be able to handle ternary coding … you understand now?" Laying down with her arms propping up her lore filled head she observes the movements of visible liquid droplets suspended far up and accurately judges the chances of precipitation – this cloud will not rain she deduces. Stretched out on a plaid picnic blanket with Yamcha laying by her side gazing up at the azure welkin, semi rolling over she now faces him. Washu can easily tell that what she said went completely over his head. In one ear and out the other, he has no earthly idea what half of the words she said meant. He is listening to her but even Gohan would have trouble following her putting stuff in what she thinks are layman's terms. Ryo-ohki splishes and splashes as she frolics in the shallows of the lake, she has really taken to Puar as a playmate as has Yamcha's familiar. Such simple pleasures are what he has to offer her; his company and the majestic scenery of Earth. She scowls at his lack of attention or acknowledgement to the story of one of her first major accomplishments when she was still in her preliminary years in the prestigious Science Academy.

" So … Yamcha, why didn't you treat me to a lovely little day out in the city? Hmmm?" Turning to face her with a smile, Yamcha sighs to himself contently.

" Mainly for the fact I don't have a penny to my name. You don't strike me as a dinner and a movie kinda girl to be honest, what would you do in the city besides research? Anyway Vegeta did give me specific instructions not to let you loose in public."

" What, he told you to keep an eye on little old me? What could I possibly do, someone as cute as me couldn't possibly ever do anything bad." The sham of her pretending to be just another harmless woman incapable of causing widespread panic or mayhem elicits great amusement and mirth as they both chuckle at this little charade. Loud meows fail to distract the lovebirds as Ryo-ohki and Puar instigate a frenzied bout of splashing the other, each trying to hold out against the feline nature of hating getting wet.

" You know Yamcha it would be a doddle for me to hack into the central server of a bank and redistribute some of the wealth if you get what I mean. It'll solve all your financial problems and then maybe we might be able to get someplace for just the two of us, sound good?" Not currently a highwayman, Yamcha has maybe a few qualms about stealing but her with that cheeky little grin and those alluring eyes he might have to take her up on that proposal. The wolf warrior is about to fall into her seductive claws. Their lips just about to graze against each other to seal the deal when a loud slam interrupts them, thwarting Washu's plan.

Trunks clutches his head, the lavender hair of his displaced as he tore off the thing causing him blinding pain. A crumpled ring of silvery alloys clangs onto the floorboards from his hands, distorted out of shape with half the array of glimmering lights fixed to it shattered. Goten follows and two more of Washu's inventions lay broken outside her lab. Staggering out of the doorway with the world spinning around them come the Saiyan-human hybrids, minds still awhirl after what was done to them. Goku's child also has the additional hassle of having to carry Sasami for she appears to have blacked out in the wake of the unorthodox education, one of her ponytails has come undone and half her head of hair drags across the ground nearly tripping up the young lad. Hardly a few feet beyond the interdimensional portal and all their progress stops. Senses overloaded after the upload: vision unfocused, all balance gone and an irritating high pitched whining whistling through their attuned Saiyan ears. Knees begin to buckle and the younger of the two boys loses himself to the blackness of unconsciousness and spills Sasami onto the fall. Vegeta's son does not notice his friend collapsing, he is incapable of perception, and so trips and falls over Goten. All three children that Yamcha and Washu were entrusted with are out cold.

Yamcha's blood freezes, this does not bode well. His eyes dart worriedly to Washu who is still looking at him as if nothing has happened and she hasn't done anything wrong. Sometimes he wishes that she had just a tad more empathy for others, or at the very least a better understanding of the consequences of what she does. Quick as the winds he is knelt beside the children, he lets out a loud sigh seeing that they are still breathing. Nudging them, calling their names; all of it is ineffective in waking them from this inflicted torpor.

" Oh leave them be, just need a little rest that's all. It's going to take a bit of time for new neural pathways to be forged and all of the great gift I have bequeathed them to be fully absorbed. C'mon, you think I'd do something without running a full risk assessment first?" Washu's nonchalant and dismissive behaviour concerning the comatose state of the infants as she leans against the doorway does not make Yamcha feel any better, or confident in answering her last question. Weakly he smiles at her before turning back to the children and heaving their unmoving bodies onto his shoulders. As always he has to do the physical work of lugging about the repercussions of whatever Washu does, with the children set down upon their beds he returns to his woman.

Every single jewellers, every single shop they passed that sold valuables, trinkets or something shiny, Vegeta was forced to visit by Ryoko. Diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, amethysts, silver, emeralds and all the other valuable or semi-precious gemstones had to be sampled by the woman with the eyes of a magpie. If Vegeta did not have the wealth of his wife's company on his side he would be destitute by this point, at least the amount the average man earns in a year has been thrown down the drain for glistening baubles and treasures to adorn the space pirate. Maybe two or three gifts Ayeka asked for politely, seeing as how little the Saiyan cared about the cost of this day out. Whatever makes them happy and keeps them away from each others throats Vegeta has trapped himself into doing. The Sun is drawing towards its zenith before Ryoko is ready to call her hoarding of precious metals to an end, the prince being lumbered with the job all men get during a shopping spree – pack mule. Perhaps through just being close to such content and happy females for a prolonged period is starting to rub off on Vegeta. The happy grin of the cyan haired woman overjoyed by this new ability of being able to get what she wants without breaking the law and Ayeka cheery as she gets to explore these new surroundings and get to learn of the culture of Earth and its inhabitants might son infect the Saiyan prince. Saiyan ears twitched once when they overheard hushed whispering from behind Vegeta, he let them live as tones of immense jealousy at the company he is keeping bled through their mutterings. A beauty from beyond the stars around each of his herculean arms and in the respective hand the bags of their purchases, the last Saiyan prince still walks aimlessly through the high streets.

" Ooh hey! Vegeta let's go in there next, I'm bored of all this walking around." Long and elegant fingers point from Ryoko towards the small little restaurant just across the road from where they are. It doesn't look that much, just your bog standard restaurant with a waiter stood by the door ready to welcome in any would be customers. The princess on the other hand is used to finer dining than what would be served in such an average café. Being brought up as royalty normally is, she has very low opinions of such mediocre establishments.

" Why would we want to waste such a perfect day in a place like that, you obviously have no taste at all Ryoko. I am sure that where Lord Vegeta is taking us is a much nicer place than that dump." Both Ryoko and Ayeka look at the man in-between them to resolve this, he looks across at both of them and then to the small restaurant.

" To be frank I have no bloody idea where we are or where we are heading." Ryoko and Ayeka both sweatdrop, taken aback by a response they were not bargaining for – a guide that does not know their location and has no destination in mind. As they question him about what he means by that and what they are doing or going to do about it he takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.

" I might have lived in this city for over a decade but do I look like I normally go about a place filled with such pathetic worms? Never really explored this city, never had any real need or inclination to."

" So let's go to that food place over there then, I'm hungry." Her feelings over the subject of food are perfectly reciprocated in Vegeta, a Saiyan's stomach is never full and is always demanding more sustenance and nourishment. Saiyan's are born hungry and die still craving for food.

" You aren't the only one here Ryoko, we shall go there unless Lady Ayeka has any objections on the choice of venue for lunch." The Juraian royal smiles softly at him.

" If that is where you wish to go Lord Vegeta it is where I want to go too." That's that then, the matter is sorted as far as Vegeta is concerned. If these two women both agree on the same thing then he isn't going to complain and if food is thrown into the bargain too then it is an offer he simply cannot refuse. Luckily for them the restaurant is deserted and they get seated straight away at a table designed for a lot more than their current party. Ten chairs are placed around this large circular table, the largest in the small restaurant, Vegeta chose this table for a reason that will soon become clear. Lank and with a small little curled moustache, the only waiter appearing to be on shift at what should be one of the busiest times for a food selling place brings the menus over to the table. Vegeta flicks open the menu and glances down the list, nothing unusual just the normal typical fare expected to be found in this city. Closing his menu, having already decided on what he shall order, he sees another problem has presented itself. Blank stares emanate from the duo sat either side of him directed at the menu they hold in their hands. The Saiyan overlooked their inability to read the local written language, never mind even if he read out the menu to them, as patronising as that would be for these adult women, he'd still have to contend with neither woman knowing most of the names of any ingredients or meats used.

" I'll take the lot."

" B-but sir - " Vegeta's eyes narrow at this back talk from the servant, there goes his tip straight away.

" I said I will have all that this place sells, I can pay so jump to it." The waiter hurries off into the kitchen, something about the heartless, black pits of the pupils staring at him invoked a great unquestionable fear. Vegeta watches the pitiful maggot scurry off with a smug sense of satisfaction, he has intimidation down to an art form now. " You don't mind that I ordered for you? You can eat what you want and whatever is left shall be mine." Ayeka or Ryoko do not seem to care about this arrangement and swiftly find out that he got this table purely for there to be just enough room for the food to be set down before them. Ryoko shuffles her chair closer to Vegeta's so she can cuddle into his shoulder, he simply looks down at her, long since surrendered to such actions to occur today. So has Ayeka apparently, inside she is wishing many ill things to befall the space pirate but the prince asked her to behave so she will just have to put on a brave face and pretend it doesn't bother her. With no other customers to serve it is not too long before the starters soon begin to arrive on the table, being brought across by the lone waiter trip after trip. Vegeta eyes the salads warily, if push comes to shove he will eat greenery but his true diet is carnivorous in nature, thankfully though the Juraian royal seems quite keen on these healthy dishes. Ryoko is considering the idea of a liquid lunch as she sees a tray of bottles brought to the table, ordering everything on the menu also included the wine list on the back which had at the very least 30 different types of wine on it. A loud and ominous creak cracks through the air as she leans on Vegeta whilst chugging the contents of a 75 year old Chianti which draws her and Ayeka's attention as they see that he is actually not properly sitting down on his chair. His feet are touching the floor but the seat of his trousers are not connecting with that of the chair. Still restraining himself from the bounty of food till the women have had their fill, he simply says to them that he is wearing clothing of a weight he doubts the chair would be able to manage.

" You want to join me for a little drinkie? C'mon sourpuss, lighten up and have some." Inebriation is clouding the mind of the pirate as she tries to get Vegeta to consume the alcoholic drinks along with her.

" No, think on it this way: the less I drink the more there is for you." With her being fairly tipsy by this point is the only reason she accepts this weak logic … and makes her way onto the next bottle of wine. Only one of the bottles was left for Ayeka. The bottle that contained the wine of the lowest alcoholic concentration was yielded from Ryoko to Ayeka after Vegeta read the percentages for them. As the Saiyan clears the table of all remaining comestibles, the second round of food is piled high onto the solid table struggling to support the weight placed on top of it. A young couple helplessly in love wander into the restaurant and get a table on the far side of the dining room.

" Vegey, why do they get stuff like that? Can we have those things for our little romantic meal?" She is referring to the candles and single red rose placed in a long slender glass vase, even with her mind slightly handicapped by the copious amounts of drink she sees this difference in treatment between their table and that of the only other customers. The princess notices this also but doesn't want to make a fuss over such inconsequential things.

" Don't call me that. I am a Saiyan warrior not some pet like your Ryo-ohki." Happy and content as he possibly can be during the time in which he is eating always has to get spoiled by something, or someone. Such a disgraceful thing to be called, only someone with no sense of honour or pride would ever voluntarily agree to such a demeaning title.

" But all couples have cute nicknames for each other."

" You are not a couple though Ryoko, heaven forbid some poor soul ever getting paired with you." Ayeka can no longer just stand by and takes action.

" Vegey, she's being mean to me again." Heavy drinking does normally lead to an increase in physical intimacy one way or another, but her affectionate squeeze as she hugs him could simply be by virtue of her normal behaviour. He carries on eating despite the hindrance of a space pirate latched onto him, the conversation would but only escalate into an argument between the two women if it were carried on. The rest of the meal passes by in relative silence, Vegeta paying little or no heed to the women sat on opposing sides of him unless it is concerning an offer of food which he is always appreciative of. Little things like his words of thanks and gratitude, the minimal amount of compassion he is willing to show, is enough for Ayeka. She doesn't require the security of feeling his body next to hers like Ryoko, although she would not complain if such a thing were to happen. Stuffing his face with the bounty of surprisingly good quality steaks and mountains of potato products, Vegeta doesn't seem to glance up from the plates laid in front of him. Despite the smooth skin of a certain space farer being rubbed against him and the kind and open hearted Ayeka quietly smiling at him, he tries to keep himself focused on food alone and not these sirens of temptation. Not long does it take for the boyfriend and girlfriend to pull themselves away from each other to observe slack jawed the overwhelming lack of decorum from their neighbouring diners. More food than has ever been prepared at once in this restaurant is all consumed by a single man without pause. A thick wad of notes are left behind on top of the landscape of plates and cutlery in payment for the food that filled a small corner of Vegeta's cavernous stomach. Fed but not watered, he leaves after paying the bill, all the drink being alcoholic in nature he daren't touch the firewater.

Back with Ryoko on his left and Ayeka on his right they step back out into the sunlight reflecting off of the glass panes and shining metal panels of the city. They both had maybe a tad too much to drink, as indicated by their inability to walk in a perfectly straight line – or a line of any kind altogether. The princess had but one bottle of the wine compared to Ryoko's several dozen, despite this she does have a much lower and more human tolerance for it. Stagger left then stagger right, the swaying motion of their movements are kept in line by Vegeta's anchoring arms linked with theirs.

" Ugh your breath stinks Ryoko. If you're going to go around smelling up the place and ruining this nice clean atmosphere please go and do it far away from me and Lord Vegeta."

" Well your breath is nearly as bad as that putrid perfume you douse yourself with princess. OW!" Vegeta tenses his huge biceps and puts pressure on the arms of the women trapped within them to stop this trading of insults between the intoxicated duo.

" One more peep out of you two drunkards and I will call an end to this trip." The Saiyan is dead serious, he has had far too much social interaction than he would prefer for one day … and he has a bad feeling that if things continue then the two women's behaviour will severely degrade. Even though under the influence, anyone with half a brain would know he will go through with that threat so neither woman dares push it even though their animosity between each other still hangs thick in the air.

" I ain't no drunkard. Look and see, I'm perfectly sober." Ryoko has sneakily utilised her ki to dispel the toxins circulating through her blood stream and eradicate her besottedness. Ayeka can only look at this enviously with fuzzy eyes, how she wishes that she was capable of shifting this foul affliction instantaneously. She yelps in surprise as a sharp and hot feeling rushes through her arm and disperses throughout her body attacking and destroying all remnants of the lunch time drink. Vegeta granted her wish for clear headedness, if when sober they test his patience to the utmost limit he does not want to be pushed over the brink by liquor fuelled antics.

" … Do either of you have a place you would like to go to, or an activity – no Ryoko – or an activity you want to do." Vegeta can read the space pirate like a book and didn't have to wait for her to open her mouth before shooting down in flames whatever indecent act she was going to mention. For this he gets Ryoko pouting at him, not happy that she did not get a chance to say it and so annoy Ayeka, and also a very quick response from the crass vixen.

" What? I didn't say anything. You do know it'd be a lot easier for me to choose where to go if you bothered to tell us what was actually here to choose from."

" Why should you be the one to choose Ryoko, you just had your turn with that restaurant. I think it should be me who gets the choice of our next destination." Vegeta nods stiffly, agreeing with Ayeka's viewpoint and starts reciting the few buildings and places within this city that he has knowledge of. One by one he exhausts the list as, not surprisingly, the only places he can name are those that don't appeal too much to a Juraian princess :butchers or other food shops mainly and one gym that Vegeta visited once just to totally humiliate and emasculate all those within it to alleviate a foul mood he was in that day. Screeching caws break the silence as Vegeta thinks about what his former wife might have mentioned concerning things to do in the city.

" … well there is also the beach ..." Ayeka's eyes glisten happily as her face erupts with a happy smile.

" Oh Lord Vegeta please can we go to the beach, it has always been a dream of mine to visit the coast. Jurai only has small inland lakes on it and so I have always wanted to go to the seaside ever since hearing about it when I was a child. Can we Lord Vegeta?" Seeing no reason why not he offhandedly agrees to this idea as Ayeka's great mirth gets the better of her. Before realising what she is doing she has brazenly hugged Vegeta tightly, smiling without a care in the world and drawing the looks of many passers-by. Focused solely on the weird machine attached to a wall that appears to be dispensing money to whoever uses it, Ryoko turns and sees to her dismay that her place has been usurped. In her eyes she is supposed to be the one cuddling Vegeta like that not this other woman.

" HEY! What do you think you're doing?! Hands off him missy, he's mine." Gritting her teeth as she spins around to see Ayeka with Vegeta in this manner, she roughly shoves the princess clinging onto her man away and takes back her place. The Saiyan pulls Ayeka back as she nearly gets pushed directly into the constant stream of traffic whizzing past on the road whilst getting his other arm pinned against him by the body of Ryoko possessively pressing itself to him. Purple hair wafts itself in front of the young royal's face from the speeding vehicles as a great red blush takes over her fair features upon realising what she just did in public.

" I belong to no one Ryoko, Saiyans are not possessions to be owned … not since Frieza was blasted to a million pieces. If the beach is where we are heading then I suppose that we all require clothing suitable for swimming and such." Being blessed with a nose that could sniff a fresh kill from several miles away he cannot lose his way to the ocean but finding a clothing shop might prove differently.

Lightning bolts shoot through his skull as Trunks starts to stir. Siting up on the cold wooden flooring he glances about and punches his friend in the arm to wake him up. A cry of complaint from Goten as he is woken up rudely and they both try and figure out how they got to this room, the last thing they remember is being given a weird circlet from Washu. The pain from an experience they cannot remember has not abated at all during their slumber. Being of Saiyan blood they shirk the discomfort and wander out of the room in search of the adults, leaving behind Sasami still down for the count after they check she is Ok. Stumbling on unsure and wobbly legs they get to the top of the staircase and stop, deciding it would be unwise for them to traverse the steps in their current condition. A figure below them is sashaying seductively towards the other.

Utilising all of her womanly charms and assets to the maximum, Washu glides casually towards Yamcha. Hips swaying, chest thrust forward with her shoulders thrown back and a mysterious twinkle hidden within her emerald eyes … all the time keeping her hands and what they hold behind her back. Trying to tear his eyes away from her captivating legs and the rest of her body slowly but surely advancing on him, Yamcha knows full well what she is up to. She has chosen not to respect his opinion and instead is surreptitiously trying to get him to agree with what she thinks would be best, the thing that took down Saiyan children loosely hanging in her fingers. Resisting her feminine charms and wiles as best as he can against someone as stunningly ravishing as the greatest scientist of the universe, Yamcha takes small hesitant steps backwards away from Washu. A conflicted feeling of ambiguity clashes in the mind of the wolf warrior, whether to fall for the gorgeous temptation before him or stand his ground and not allow her to have her own nefarious way yet again. His bare feet shuffle towards the front door some more.

" Where you going Yamcha? Just come with me and I'll show you things you couldn't ever imagine in your wildest dreams. No need to be scared or worried. Do you think I would hurt my Yamcha?"

" Look Washu I told you no. I am not going to have that thing of yours go messing with my brain."

" Stop being so difficult. Come on Yamcha just trust me, hehe. Think. If you utilise my cranial data convection helm of scholarship then both of us would be super geniuses, your intellect would be relatively close to mine. Try to think of all the things we could do together, you'd be able to help me out in my research and it might even heighten your fighting abilities. Yamcha and Washu, masters of the mind, and the universe will tremble before our monumental brain power, ha. Mwuhahaha!"

" No means no Washu. I am who I am and don't want to get altered by any of your tech, no matter how good you say it is. Android 18 might be a damn sight better at fighting than me but Krillin's told me how much she hates what Doctor Gero did to her." Yamcha stays adamant in his decision whilst all the time gradually edging his way out of the front door and onto the green turf with Washu hounding him every step of the way. Every human is born with a great fear of the unknown and to Yamcha most things concerning Washu are mysteries to him. Scared of the device and the mind altering abilities of it, his lover chooses to ignore the growing look of dread on his face. Stupendous intellect and always having been the smartest person wherever she has roamed throughout the galaxy led to her developing a very strong sense of superiority to all around her. For Washu what she thinks or believes has to be the right thing, unquestionably so, everyone else's opinions are wrong logically because she is the smartest and therefore more capable of forming the correct thought. The scientist's frustration builds at this defiance of her will, who is he to question the decisions of Washu. Then to top it all off, no longer restricted by being inside a building, Yamcha flippantly takes both feet off of the ground and proceeds to levitate just high enough that she cannot reach him.

" No! Yamcha! Why do you have to be so stubborn, just get down right now and do as I say." Fuming at her inability to persuade him with her charms or reason, she stomps her feet and shouts at him. The composure of Washu has broken, Yamcha can see the menace in her eyes and thinks that it is probably best to stay a few feet above her. " I won't do that thing you really enjoy ever again if you don't put on my brilliant invention." He stretches out and gazes up at the sky. " Yamcha don't you turn your back on me!" Ignoring her, he relaxes and tries to forget about the irate woman mad with rage beneath him. That is until she leaps up far enough that she manages to get him. A sharp cry of pain from Yamcha as he feels the full weight of Washu dangling from the long tail of hair flowing from his scalp. She wins this round as he begins to descend, or so she thinks. One sonic boom later and no longer is she holding onto his hair but instead floating off the ground and caught in Yamcha's burly arms with her own slender limbs trapped against her body.

" Wha -? Let me go! Grrr, I don't -" She knows it is fruitless but fidgets as best she can to escape. His calm demeanour just feels like he is trying to humiliate and belittle her, something she detests nearly as much as Vegeta does.

" Sh, calm down Washu. You're getting worked up over nothing. Just take a deep breath and stop this silliness, my answer is still no Washu." Soothing words and a kind smile emanate from him. Washu's anger blinds her to these things, all she has on her mind is that she is being held captive in the air with her legs kicking about like a petulant child.

" Silly? Did you call me silly?! I am the best scientific prodigy that has ever and will ever exist! Put me down and release me now!"

" Washu, you'll always be the smartest person to me. Forget about it." She is making this very hard work for him, his efforts being wafted away like his strength in any battle he has participated in the last two decades. He loosens his grip on her, receiving a worried look from Washu as she fears a drop from 10ft onto solid ground, and gently but firmly holds her aloft in the air by her womanly hips. The gamble he made has paid off, she is not making any move to put the dangerous headpiece upon his noggin.

" I will not, this is of major importance." He moves his face close to hers and looks deep into her eyes. Fires burn down to quiet embers, the wrath of a woman believing herself to be scorned dies. The vivid green eyes of the woman he fell in love with no longer stare fixed at him with malice or intent. " Why don't you want me to improve you? Yamcha, I just thought you'd like it if we had more in common … I can show you all the statistics showing how safe - " CRASH! Both adults turn to look at the source of the noise, floating down to solid earth again they see the cause of the disturbance. Goten is laying face first down at the bottom of the stairs. A muted groan of pain from Goku's child and guffaws of laughter from Vegeta's child who dared the still addled Goten to take on the challenge of successfully navigating the staircase. The second son of Goku rolls over onto his back and nimbly flips back onto his feet … and then falls flat on his face once again.

" Safe? Honestly?" He questions Washu with this evidence proving the contrary to what she was about to say.

" They're alive aren't they. It won't cause any lasting or permanent damage to them, they are perfectly Ok ."

" Washu they can't even walk in a straight line." No concern or worry is in her face, how she appears so calm and uncaring when these children appear to need medical attention disturbs him. One major thing though is plaguing his mind, a thought that if it comes into being will spell certain doom. " Will the effects wear off before Vegeta returns 'cos if they don't both of us are dead meat." He hopes that whatever she says will be good news, if not … well the less said the better.

" Stop overreacting Yamcha. I told you the effects are only temporary, give them a few more hours of rest and they have a 76% chance of being back to normal … unless they go throwing themselves down flights of stairs." Yamcha weakly smiles at her little joke as he goes to help Goten up as he still struggles with his lack of any sense of balance. Looking so much like his father, Yamcha can't help but draw comparisons between Goten and when Goku fist had his tail removed. Kneeling beside him and at eye level, Washu's eyes quickly scan over the hybrid youth checking his physical condition. " Yep, he seems to be recovering just as I predicted, here I'll even show you what marvels it has performed in their cerebral cortex. Now Goten, I want you to answer the following questions: what occurs when multiple streams of high energy positrons collide … and who is the most intelligent and beautiful woman to ever live?"

" Uh … what I don't under – That Miss Washu would be total protonic reversal and the answer to the second question is Washu Hakubi the great and magnificent. … I don't know Miss Washu." The teacher smiles, pleased with this perfect answer as Goten scratches and holds his hurting head. Yamcha clears his throat drawing Washu's attention. The chirpy grin on her face from her boosted ego is a pleasant change from a few minutes ago, he still has one niggling thought he would like answered though. He pulls her head close to his and whispers into her ear so that the two lads don't overhear.

" As far as I know that wasn't what today's lesson was going to be about, or any lesson for that matter. How much did you actually 'teach' them Washu?" Her brows furrow in confusion at this weird question, the answer is so obvious to her.

" You really think I'd go through that hassle every day? Ha, what a stupid notion. No, that won't be necessary for you fail to grasp what my cranial data convection helm of scholarship is capable of. In a mere 15 minutes a full 1.27% of my whole archives of information were uploaded into their brains and I am sure that should prove more than sufficient to them. You may have observed that it also preserved their sweet innocent minds from a few of the more biological topics as all data they have been given will lay dormant in their minds. Only when answered a direct question pertaining to something they do not consciously know the answer to will theses reserve banks of knowledge be accessed by their subconscious. Aren't I such a genius?" All things considered it doesn't sound like she has totally screwed their brains up to Yamcha. Somewhat relived he turns back to look back at the boys clumsily trying to manoeuvre themselves about. Shaking his head and letting out a slight sigh he sees Sasami emerging out of the room he put her in, with no Saiyan might to aid her Ryo-ohki instead is acting like a partial guide dog. THWACK!

" ARGH! WHAT THE FU-"

" Oops, sorry Yamcha. Hehe, forgot that I only have these manufactured for a lesser diameter than your head." Her slamming the device onto his skull took him by surprise more so than it caused him actual pain. Now there is a third male holding their head as Washu sneakily skulks back off into her lab with a mischievous smirk on her face.

Vegeta, Ayeka and Ryoko arrive at the beach. Fine pale sands, a crystal clear blue sea with almost no surf to it (with no lunar object orbiting the Earth anymore tides are a thing of the past) and most importantly not a soul in sight. The Saiyan has chosen this patch of coastline well, if things go wrong – which he knows damn well they will – then there shall be no bystanders to get in the way. Still with Ryoko and Ayeka linking arms with him and following his every step, he leaps off of the promenade to land with his feet sinking into the sun heated sands. A few more metres forward and closer to the salty smelling waters he sets down the many bags he has been burdened with. Three new bags since the earlier shopping spree, one containing attire suitable for a day at the beach for each of them … he did not enjoy the time spent buying these.

Never again shall he dare go clothes shopping. Getting himself some swimming shorts proved no problem, a quick in and out procedure of go into the shop, find some and pay for them. That was not where his problem was though. With him all done he then had to go and wait for the two women to make up their minds on what swimming costume they shall wear. Forcefully dragging Ryoko away from the bikinis made of apparently nothing but a few pieces of string created quite a scene, he will not allow her to be seen near him if she goes around so scantily clad. Such an obvious ploy from her, especially after he had to dissuade her from going swimming in the nude and having to explain that human's have laws concerning public acts of indecency like that. So embarrassed he felt, a proud Saiyan crusader, stood in the aisles of women's swimwear. The space pirate being so barefaced about her attempts to seduce him with the revealing clothing, holding up different items of clothing to see if he has a positive reaction to any – which he didn't – and even going as far as pretending to need help with something in the changing room. The cunning mind of a warrior of thousands of battles will not fall for a petty ruse like that and ignores the attention seeking behaviour to check on how Ayeka is doing. Him being around her proves counter productive though for as soon as she sees him she blushes brightly, having to get and later on wear revealing clothes such as these is testing her sensibilities. Vegeta is glad when it is all over, taking 20 more minutes than it would have done if her went alone.

Removing his arms from the women clinging to him he bends over and rummages around in the carrier bags for some towels, finding them he takes them out and lays them down on the ground with a good 2 feet distance between each towel. The women are enjoying the view: Ayeka of this mystical place she has dreamt of for so long and Ryoko of Vegeta bending over. In a flash the Saiyan is laying down on the central towel in his plain black swimming shorts with a neat folded pile of his clothes next to him that sinks deeply into the sand from its enormous weight, he'll have to dig them out later. Not since before his death has he lain down and he welcomes the relaxation. After being brought back from the eternal sleep – and thinking what probably went on during his absence in that bed - he had no want for visiting his place of rest and so tried to make up for a month's lost amount of training. From dusk till dawn he strove for more strength. Stress and a night's worth of built up tension and fatigue seeps out from his muscles as he lounges in the bright sunlight. Vegeta feels two pairs of eyes on him, he opens his eyes to look up at the rogue and royal stood above him. Cat like yellow irises are absorbing every facet of his near naked body and lapping it up as the bashful princess seems to be hiding her glances at the man laying at her feet. Ryoko dives for her purchase, seeming very eager to join Vegeta and show off her body with Ayeka Jurai also fishing out her own. The relaxation of Vegeta comes to an abrupt end as he stands up and puts his hands on Ryoko's arms to stop her in taking her dress off in plain sight.

" Ryoko there are changing rooms over there, use them." Ayeka was tentatively looking for someplace to switch into her swimming costume and heads off in relief seeing the small building designed for such purposes.

" Oh but that's no fun Vegeta. C'mon I know you want to see." She cheekily winks at him and strokes his bare chest, his face shows no change in emotion.

" I explicitly told you to behave yourself Ryoko …"

" Not even a little peek?...You got changed right here though so why can't I? Not like there's anyone else around to see but that snooty oppressor." Vegeta does not see why she always has to continue to persist, a good sign of a fighting spirit he'll give her that but this is not what he requires on his day out.

" Can you move faster than all physicists say is possible, if not then the changing rooms are still over there." She trudges off in a huff with a sullen look of defeat on her face, she hates these rejections from him of her body. Vegeta settles himself back down and closes his eyes, keeping company with both of those women is more draining than any rigorous exercise he has ever put his body through … he wonders if it's all just some test that will improve him in the end. The joys of doing nothing rarely appeal to him but the ability to be able to do so is something considering where he was but less than two days ago. Last time he was at the beach was a couple of years before the whole Majin Buu incident, he loathed it: sand everywhere, people everywhere and Trunks was little more than a toddler crying and whining all the time.

Several minutes pass as Vegeta ponders a few things, just some private time to mull certain things over in his mind. His brain never comes to a conclusion over it as two shadows block out the Sun, he already knew they were there though but despite that he waited for them to make their prescence known to him. Opening his eyelids he is greeted to a very welcome sight, men would give their lives for a glimpse at women like this and all he is doing is betting to himself how long it takes for another argument to occur. Ryoko is wearing a red bikini with frilled crimson and black material decorating it, for the price paid for it Vegeta thought it might have some gems hidden within it or humans are just greedier and stupider than he gave them credit for. A great slash revealing the unblemished midriff of Ayeka on the perfect white one piece swimsuit is making her feel uncomfortable and on display like her alabaster legs. Well they definitely look better in outfits like that than Bulma did is all Vegeta can say. Sly grin and slight blush set themselves down on either side of him with Ryoko edging her towel right next to Vegeta's as she lays on her side looking at him, or to be correct looking at his chest. Remembering something, the prince of Saiyans takes out two small blue bottles from the plastic bags and chucks one to both Ayeka and Ryoko, good reflexes allow them to catch the objects and look at them and the weird opening of the top designed for spraying.

" Sun cream, apply it on your skin and it will not get burnt by the direct sunlight. This planet has an extremely weak ozone layer after all the fights that have taken place on it as you may have noticed." Staring straight at the Sun as he says this he thinks of at least 20 ways in which things could hastily worsen into a major problem.

" I thank you Lord Vegeta, it is most considerate of you to go out of your way on behalf of my own personal wellbeing." Ayeka sweetly smiles at him as he accepts her words of gratitude and both women start to rub the sun cream into their exposed skin – Ryoko being Ryoko she is trying her darnedest to make the simple act the most provocative it can possibly be and having as much luck in succeeding as she ever does. All is peaceful for a while just Sun, sea and sand. Until, that is, he feels fingers being traced on one of his massive pectoral muscles by the fingernails of a most wanted criminal.

" Vegeta, can you help me? I can't reach my back properly." He turns his head to the side to face her as her fingers claw lightly along the rough grooves of scar after scar. " I won't try any funny business I swear, I've been good today haven't I?" Thinking about it he would have to agree with her on that, he saw her pass by the whole financial district and not rob any of the buildings and banks though he saw how much she desperately wanted to. He pushes himself up onto his elbows and exhales lengthily, relinquishing himself to doing her bidding for the time being. She rolls over onto her back giggling happily as she caught a look at Ayeka's face as Vegeta moves away from the princess and onto her towel. " Be gentle with me Vegeta, hehe." The prince of Saiyankind cannot use any of his preternatural swiftness here, the lotion would evaporate and render moot any of his efforts, he has to do things the old fashioned way like most mortals. Content purrs of a thoroughly happy and gleeful Ryoko grate as fingernails on a chalkboard down across the Juraian princess' mind. That look of pure enjoyment radiating from the woman her prince is touching, oiling and with the hands of someone experienced at doing so. Her annoyance is rising, the thin strands restraining her are pulled taught and all but snap when Ryoko sticks her tongue out in an impertinent manner.

" Umm … Vegeta? What're you doing?" As a punishment for pulling faces he decided to stick his finger coated in sun cream on her tongue so she would learn not to do so, for some reason the foul tasting liquid did nothing to her. He quickly withdraws from her and sits back down on his own towel with her confused eyes lingering on him with a rosiness spreading on her cheeks.

" N-nothing! There, I did as you asked. … By any chance do you happen to have no taste buds?"

" Taste buds? What are they?" Vegeta knew it, he was sure he smelt one of the wine bottles from lunch being badly corked yet she did not notice and it was one of the first bottles she consumed so it couldn't have been the senseless oblivion of alcohol that caused this.

" Lord Vegeta? … C-could you umm …" Vegeta takes this excuse to drop his conversation with Ryoko he didn't want to have - how she is missing one of the five major senses. Ayeka is holding the bottle of sun cream close to her chest and looking at it whilst talking to him. " … It would seem that I also require aid in applying this to my back. Would you be so kind as to help me as well in this matter?" As she apprehensively asks this question she holds out the sun cream to him and faces him with a nervous and embarrassed look on her face. He perfunctorily concedes to doing the same thing for her he did for Ryoko though her bathing costume does reveal much less of her that would require to be sun creamed. Roles reversed, Ayeka feels the strong and firm fingers kneading her flesh as Ryoko can look on and stew in jealousy. The purple haired maiden has never had a man ever touch her in such an intimate manner before, she would be lying if she said she did not enjoy it but should a high princess of the hallowed courts of the Jurai royal family be enjoying pleasures such as these. Vegeta gets the job done quickly and finishes when he hears a very quiet moan escape the princess, he just wants to try and get some rest not go through the hassle of appeasing two needy women. Two ears beside Vegeta's picked up on that sound and prick up as her eyes narrow, biting her lip throughout observing the Saiyan's hands caressing her pale skin she can abide this no longer.

" Vegeta! I'll do your back now, hehe." Ryoko lunges as fast as she can across the short distance to his unprotected flank, he nimbly dodges this gainless attempt with no effort at all. Ayeka lets out a scream seeing the pirate rocketing towards her as Ryoko phases out of existence and back in again directly above Vegeta to approach him from another angle. Diving down at her top flying speed with gravity on her side still means naught to Vegeta. He clamps his hands around her wrists and holds her upside down in front of him as the blue bottle spills from her hand onto the scorching sands of the beach. Disheartened golden eyes stare into his ebony pupils and the eager smile on her face has washed off.

" Saiyan skin is not so weak that it requires protective chemicals, our hide is tough enough to withstand the most extreme levels of all nature's elements." Vegeta releases his grip on her and lounges back down onto his drying cloth, she continues to hover in the air as he left her. With gravity acting on her in this manner her hair bears a distinct similarity to that of the raised spikes of Vegeta.

" Aaaw, I was just trying to have some fun you grump. Can't you be just a teensy bit less serious all the time, live a little." Ryoko's sullen face drifts down into his view as she lowers herself closer to the earth and the Saiyan prince's lap.

" I am living a lot more than a week ago, isn't that enough for you?" She struck a chord he does not want to be reminded of – besides his defeat at Goku's hands his deaths are his most shameful memories.

" So insensitive Ryoko, stop pestering Lord Vegeta." Ayeka, feeling left out of the conversation, jumps in, she sees an opportunity to belittle the space pirate and gladly will take it. Ryoko simply looks at her then back at Vegeta choosing to ignore the royal decree of Ayeka. Floating down and rotating round so she is the right way up, the cyan maned woman sits down cross legged next to Vegeta and looks down at him.

" Hey, Vegeta." He lazily drifts his eyes across to her. She has her gaze fixed on his face and is smiling gaily. " So … did you prefer touching my soft and delicate skin or Ayeka's?" Vegeta was not expecting that, he did not foresee this line of inquiry and so freezes with an awkward and uncomfortable look at being put under the spotlight like this. The princess perks up hearing her name mentioned and although taking offense at the obvious insult from Ryoko waits to hear the prince's verdict. Vegeta's eyes close as he moves one of his hands to his temples to massage it whilst he thinks. This is a good sign for both women, or they think so, because if he is taking the time to make a judgement in his head then surely he must have strong opinions on the matter – opinions concerning their beauty. Ayeka and Ryoko's eyes flash at each other and back at their prince awaiting his words to see who he favours. The silence is broken by a deep grumbling from Vegeta's stomach, he immediately opens his eyes and sits bolt upright.

"Lady Ayeka Masaki Jurai had the softer skin I believe, hard to tell." He says this and prepares for the repercussions .

" What?! NO! Vegeta!" It is safe to say that the space pirate is not too happy with his choice, in fact it would be closer to horror she is feeling. Vegeta was asked to choose and so he did, if it doesn't please her then that is her problem.

" Hahaha, oh come now Ryoko you didn't expect him to pick your old, wrinkled skin over mine which is still so youthful. Maybe you're just going senile." Ayeka could not be any happier with this result, praise from Vegeta on her supple and velvety skin and Ryoko coming in second place behind her.

" I'M NOT OLD! … Right Vegeta?" Her eyes lock onto him full of hopefulness that he didn't mean what he said or that is was some kind of sick joke. She can see no hint of amusement in his eyes, just the normal deadpan. Giggling from Ayeka claws at Ryoko's mind.

" I think we should let the numbers speak for themselves, the fact is you are 5 times older than me and you are sagging 5 times as much." She said it, that one word Ryoko hates above all others, 'sag'. There is no going back from that, any other insult she could have wiped off or ignored but with this there shall be blood one way or another.

" Grrr, I hate you! This is just some mistake, he meant to say my name but he just got frightened when he saw your ugly mug." Ryoko will not admit defeat on this, she can't accept it. How her little harmless question backfired so badly for her is something she just doesn't understand. Even though she continually looks to Vegeta for support he appears to have taken an entirely neutral stance, supporting neither woman after those fateful words he said.

" Poor Ryoko, you obviously haven't looked in a mirror for a good few decades if you think that I am the one with a face that causes small children to cry." Ayeka pushed it too far, Ryoko's fist flies straight and true for her face to rectify what the princess said. Fear grips the purple haired woman's eyes as she sees the violence intended for her and the pure rage of Ryoko directed straight at her. The punch is stopped by Vegeta. Putting his open hand out he catches it and takes the impact without flinching or causing him any pain or harm.

" You already broke the rule concerning flight Ryoko, are you about to go and also start a fight? Disobedience must run in your blood." Only now with the inevitable occurring does Vegeta step in and cease any escalations. His hand closes over Ryoko's but she yanks it away.

" I - I don't believe this! You're taking her side again. How could you? First you say you don't like my body and then- " Cyan hair flies out of its holdings and flows long and free once again as she wrenches out the bobble and throws it at Vegeta. The small ring of cotton combusts before it gets close to him.

" Ryoko I said her skin was softer than yours, it is hard to detect with palms as callused as mine but there was one main thing I could distinguish between. You have a scar received from battle, Ayeka has never been in a true fight and so never collected the mark of a warrior." The space pirate pauses. She looks over her bare shoulder to see the same scar he is referring to, the one racing down from her right shoulder blade to the bottom of the left-hand side of her ribcage. A horrible and nasty imperfection that runs jagged and rough down her otherwise unblemished back.

" … My scar? …" Vegeta nods sternly as she says this. His own body – nearly every square inch - riddled and ravaged with the souvenirs of war, the permanent reminders of when he was too slow, too weak or overconfident. " You think I'm ugly because of my scar, don't you?" Her face and heart sink, always so proud to show off her body whenever possible but always she forgets the thing on her back.

" My that is quite a horrible disfigurement, you won't find anything like that on my perfect skin." Neither of the others pay attention to Ayeka, her mockery of Ryoko goes thoroughly ignored. Vegeta's attention is on the space pirate alone, his own defaced back turned to Ayeka.

" Ryoko you don't know much about Saiyans, in our culture scars are proof that we are true fighters. The more scars a Saiyan wears and still remains alive, the more respect their comrades will have for him or for her. I will admit that I have cheated the system and have more than a life's worth of scars rendering them moot but yours looks as though it was a deep slash by an energy weapon. Unless your vital organs differ from the average humanoid then that would have pushed you close to death. You fought hard to survive and endure and that is the Saiyan way."

" Vegeta … y-you mean it?" There is no lie hidden in his eyes. He nods in response. " You think it isn't grotesque but … something to respect me for?" For a second time he nods in a positive response to her question. Vegeta's signature smirk appears seeing the look of pure mirth and relief on Ryoko's face. The widest smile of blithe happiness grins back at the Saiyan prince as she pounces on him and the smile only gets bigger as she sees Ayeka's look of irascibility. Disconcerted by the bodily contact with a woman in not a lot of clothing, Vegeta stays absolutely still feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his pronounced slabs of muscles.

" Unhand Lord Vegeta you shameless wench ." Much to her surprise Ryoko does let go of Vegeta and lays back down on her own towel, with that shocking compliance to her wishes Ayeka also relaxes back down to bask in the glorious sunlight. A great sandstorm encompasses the towels with a great wall of sand thrown up into the air in a straight line heading towards the waters edge. Vegeta's form did not fade from either woman's vision as he stood up, went to the ocean, caught a fish, chargrilled the unlucky sea creature and came back to sit down at his place between them. Wiping the sand from their eyes and out of their hair, Ayeka and Ryoko hear the sound of bones and scales crunching as the Saiyan feasts on the bounties of the ocean. A picked clean skeleton is discarded back into the waters from which it came from and the beach becomes an oasis of serenity for the trio just relaxing in each other's company.

The silence and calm is broken after close to an hour of nothing, Vegeta is pleasantly surprised that hell on earth did not break out during that time. Ayeka awakes from the nap she drifted off into with a start and looks about widely at being woken up so suddenly. She finds a beach ball by her side and sees a group of young men not too far away, the culprits who woke her so rudely. One of the carefree beachgoers is jogging towards her following the cardinal rule of you kicked it you fetch it. She picks up the spherical object in her hands as she stands up to return his possession back to him, her ill feelings towards him gone now she sees it was accidental and not deliberate. Detecting movement, the two others lounging about sit up, nothing else is happening so they might as well watch what Ayeka is doing.

" Sorry 'bout that, didn't mean to hit ya. Didn't hurt you did I?" The bronzed skin of the man shows he spends quite a good deal of time at the beach. His day has brightened up seeing these two exotic women on the beach, he believes he is in luck, but his blood and very soul freezes seeing Vegeta. Although an incredibly fit human by most standards he pales into nothingness in comparison with the honed bulk of the Saiyan, the older alpha male with his females sees no threat from this new comer. A gracious acceptance of this apology and the princess gives him back his ball to continue his game with his mates. The random person is just about to turn back and go on his way when he decides to take the plunge.

" Hey little missy, I was just wondering, well you see we're a man down, so wouldya like to join us? I'm sure your ma and pa won't mind if you ditched them to come play with me and the lads." Ayeka has no mind to leave her prince for some commoner, much less for some ball game, but what his ill chosen words have done Ayeka likes. The Saiyan contemplates that in all honesty he is within an age range that could have sired her but it is Ryoko who has a problem with this man. Quite a big problem.

" Mother!" She seethes through her gritted teeth at the man, fires of fury lighting. Vegeta stops her from jumping up and eviscerating the man where he stands, with one strong arm he holds her in place so she cannot commit the murder she would so love to. Ayeka is grinning slyly to herself witnessing the great upset in her rival. Whispering in hushed tones for her to calm down and behave herself, Vegeta is still trying to soothe the infernal wrath of the woman scorned - albeit unsuccessfully.

" I am sure that **dear old mother **wouldn't mind but -"

" Oh it's Ok **son,** go ahead and have fun. You could do with making a few friends." Ayeka's chuckles are cut short as Ryoko escapes from Vegeta's imprisoning grasp, utilising phasing and teleportation at the same time he couldn't stop or touch her. " **He's** always been like this but don't treat **him** any differently." As gobsmacked as the man is by a bikini clad woman materialising out of thin air to stand in front of him the cogs in his head slowly churn against each other in realisation at this false information. Ayeka and Vegeta look at Ryoko as though she has totally lost the plot, not understanding what craziness she is saying. However, they don't look half as confused as the guy holding the beach ball – mentally disoriented and scared of this situation.

" Uh… yeah umm … well, uh … . Woah is that the time, I totally need to be, err, got important stuff to do. Goodbye, see ya later sir." The man is gone, a trail of sand in his wake as he runs back to his friends. A pirate is nothing if they don't know how to exploit certain aspects of people and this time she counted on humans having unreasonable prejudices against people not seen as conforming to the norm, that is something human beings have in abundance. She heartily laughs blissfully at how she got her own back on the princess, her revenge could only taste sweeter if she knew what the taste of something sweet was. How the tables have so quickly been turned. Ayeka is fuming. She is mad, horribly mad, never before has she reached this level of pure, undiluted, sheer anger for one person.

" SIR!" Venom milked from malice runs in rivulets with her words, a terrible anger distorting her face into a countenance that would leave the bravest souls quaking in their boots. " The … The outrage! He … , THAT DIMWIT, actually believed your filthy lies! How dare you!" Steely eyes fix onto Ryoko with malice and contempt in her tone. Ryoko continues to laugh in Ayeka's face, uncaring at the enormous rage before her. " Never before have I been so insulted! YOU WILL PAY!"

" What's the matter? Just got rid of that bothersome nuisance for you, see I was doing you a favour … transvestite prince of Jurai." A fresh burst of belly laughs escapes from Ryoko at her teasing and mocking of Ayeka. The burning fury within has built to terrifyingly high levels, she has been gravely insulted and slandered as a princess and as a woman, she will not stand idly around. The sand crunches under her feet and fuses into miniscule glass craters, slowly advancing towards her target Ayeka's Juraian powers awaken. A host of miniature guardians spawn and hover around like satellites to the princess. Vegeta concludes this is the end to their nice day out in the wide open world, neither woman is responsible enough to be trusted in public situations. A Saiyan stands between the two women, nearly able to feel the palpable rancour manifest. One arm grabs Ayeka roughly and the other Ryoko as he holds them apart from each other. Shame befalls him as his short height means that both women have longer arms than he and so are capable of almost getting to each other still. Instant Transmission whisks them away from the coast.

Sand is replaced with long tufts of grass and sparse bushes growing on this mountainous plateau towering high and tall above an expansive forest of conifers stretching from horizon to horizon. The temperature has plummeted to the freezing point of water and the Sun has long since ended its journey across the night time sky – Vegeta traversed a good dozen time zones in that one instant. The Saiyan prince does not relent in his grip on them, both pushing with their great strength against his arms to reach their arch nemesis. Hot breath steams and clouds into his face as goosebumps erect on their bare arms, Vegeta does not feel the cold for his ki always maintains his bodily temperature without fail. The high misty mountaintop is engulfed in a bright light from the two women as the man who has escaped the reaper three times amends the poor choice of clothing the women are wearing for a fight at a location such as this. Nothing fancy just some copies of his blue jumpsuits altered to fit to their body sizes, a good deal better protection from the frosty winds than beach wear. Not for a second, though both being moved thousands of miles and their garments being magically transformed, do Ayeka or Ryoko get undeterred from the other.

" Listen to me, it's about time both of you got this out of your system. I have provided a place and will not intervene. I do not wish for a fatality so tournament rules: no killing, victory is decided by whomsoever is knocked out or touches the ground outside of this arena." This will be some good sport to amuse him, getting to truly see their power and fighting styles. No amount of words will ever solve their hatred they share unconditionally, Vegeta believes in fighting and so that is the means he is exercising in which to sort out their erratic and irritating behaviour. They care not for his petty rules of engagement, murder is in the princess' eyes and Ryoko has never been one to turn her back on a fight. The more time that passes barring them access to the other the more he feels them straining to engage in this fight, eagerness growing and showing by the fingernails raking his exposed arms and flesh.

" Good, good. GO!" Vegeta moves out from the middle of them to stand at the precipice of the vertigo inducing cliff face. Without an obstacle to bar them the long awaited match between Ryoko and Ayeka commences. Eyes turn to slits as a bloodcurdling snarl erupts from Ayeka, SMACK! She slaps Ryoko right across the face, her nails clawing five small bloody welts high on her check. Falling face first to the dirt, Ayeka gets back up rubbing the back of her head. Ryoko hovers in the air where she just teleported to with her leg still outstretched in the position it was when she kicked the monarch.

" Pretty good princess, that hurt. This match is mine though, give it up before I start to play rough." Ryoko brings her leg back down as she descends to the ground, her tongue darting out and licking the blood flowing down her cheek.

" I will not surrender to someone as villainous as you, never!" A feminine fist flies through the body of Ryoko as she watches this feeble attempt to harm her when non –corporeal.

" You don't know who you're messing with do you?"

" I know enough that the universe would be better off with you dead and buried." Several dozen small Jurai guardian logs hover in the air around Ayeka, revolving and circling endlessly. The space pirate knows all about the powers of Jurai and especially those of its royal family, confidence blooms a dark smile on her face.

" Strong words, but can you back them up?" Quickly elbowing the not so empty space behind her, Ayeka growls seeing her pre-emptive attack blocked. Pushing against her in this not so ideal position with Ryoko at her back, Ayeka's balance is upset when Ryoko changes her body so that it doesn't have any physical properties. One short yelp of pain is all the princess will allow to escape her when her fall is stopped half way by Ryoko tugging on one of her long purple ponytails. " … How about we raise the stakes a little, make this more fun. If this is a tournament then surely there is a prize. I think we both know what, or who, that is." Heavenly azure light coalesces in a sphere around Ayeka. Summoning more power to her and the protective shield, Ryoko is forced to let go from the building energy and sidestep quickly in avoidance of a sharp kick as the barrier is instantly dropped from around the recovered Ayeka.

" I don't need a prize. Wiping that smirk off your face will be satisfaction enough for me." Left leg, right leg and right leg again hit against Ryoko's blocking forearms, not one attack getting through. Ryoko's smirk is still there, a crimson flare charges in her palms and is let loose in the general direction of the one fighting her. The blast was easily dodged as it was planned to be a warning shot at best, with Ayeka's eyes taken off of her and fixed on the explosive projectile hurtling past her Ryoko makes another assault. Somehow the Juraian caught the fist meant for her gut with both her hands, now it is the fair maiden's turn to smile. Lime coloured light builds in the hands holding tight to Ryoko's fist and the spawned protectors of the princess swarm around the space pirate. Her own trap was turned against her by someone with no battle experience. Thinking fast she brings her knee up to connect with Ayeka's wrists and with her right hand released Ryoko jets up vertically as the prematurely released blast cancels out the encapsulating globe.

" You don't want the prize? I was gonna say when I win this and leave you black and blue with that skin of yours you pride yourself so much on torn apart then I will claim my reward; a kiss from Vegeta." Red sword clashes against blue shield, striking the defence around Ayeka repeatedly trying to find a weak link in this impenetrable ward.

" Fat chance, you wish to kill him with that disease ridden mouth of yours you filthy courtesan?" Anger is amplifying the already formidable powers of both women to new heights, the stalemate reached between them grinding energy based weapons and screens is not all too interesting for Vegeta to watch. Tactically he is surprised by Ayeka's capabilities but he senses something, they still have much more power to tap into. As much fun as it is to not be involved in a fight and watch what is basically two people stood next to each other growling insults at the other, he has to interrupt their idea of what a fight is to clear something up.

" Do I get a say in this?" If he is being offered as the grand reward besides the pride and honour of victory he thinks at the very least he should have been told this was the agreement before letting them go all out.

" NO!" Both women give a very firm response. He is mildly startled at the way they shouted at him and his perfectly reasonable question, he'll just chalk it down to the bloodlust of battle.

" Fine, whatever. Go ahead with your game, I'll be watching." Vegeta sits down on the cold hard ground twiddling his thumbs to pass the time. The more time they take to settle the score the less time he gets to train, at the rate they are going he'll be here all day.

" You hear that Ayeka, he's gonna sit there. Watching and not lifting a finger as I pound you into the ground and humiliate you … this couldn't possibly get any better." Ryoko disengages from this pointless attempt to shatter the Juraian energy shield, flying high above the head of her enemy she looks down trying to conceive a new plan of attack without having to resort to her secret. Nothing immediately comes to mind that would sufficiently hurt and injure Ayeka to satisfy the sadist in Ryoko, plenty of things that could make her lose the match instantly but there would be no fun in that. Ryoko starts to toy with Ayeka, the worst possible insult in a battle is to not be thought a threat and that is exactly how the space pirate sees the spoilt royal from the lavishly pampered background. Just hovering, making no threatening actions, daring Ayeka to take to the skies also.

" No Miss Ryoko, it will be you who will taste defeat by my hand. It is my duty to protect Lord Vegeta from the likes of you, abhorrent wretch!" Ayeka's rage makes her fall for the bait, uncaring at the distinct disadvantage she has in aerial combat. A headlong charge with clenched fist extended, she could not announce her attack any louder to Ryoko. Fist hits fist, Ryoko's knuckles meeting Ayeka's as both women glare at the other. A flash of leg darts across the princess' peripheral vision aimed for her side. The feint takes away her guard, no protection is left to her when the second fist of Ryoko rockets into her stomach. Wind knocked from her and a grinding pain as the clenched hand drives further, the hand previously engaged with her own slams next to its partner as Ryoko cackles.

" What's the matter? This all you got? You're pathetic." Catching another punch in her left hand Ryoko grabs Ayeka's fringe and with her right and forcefully tears the ornamental headpiece signifying her aristocracy off, flinging it as far as she can. Too slow is Ayeka's kick, Ryoko blocks it with her own leg. A wickedness clouds the mind of the space pirate, the potent drug of battle making her all the more ruthless and merciless. With nothing on the royal's forehead anymore the buccaneer savagely head-butts the face in front of her, a wet crunching sound as Ayeka's nose breaks. Sent backwards by the force of the attack, the injured woman clutches her bleeding nose grimacing in pain. Fluttering away in the gale force winds go the purple strands of hair torn from the scalp of Ayeka.

" Argh! YOU – Y-You won't get away with this!"

" Yeah right, keep talking all you like if it makes you feel better." Ryoko flies casually towards Ayeka to stop right in front of her, grinning like a psychopath all the way. This nonchalant manner towards her best efforts make something snap inside Ayeka. Manicured fingernails cut into Ryoko's throat as both hands of the princess grip her neck and begin to squeeze tight. The smile that had been featuring for so long on the cyan haired beauty quickly fades as she senses the flow of Ayeka's ki into her hands, there will be no escape as her air supply is cut off. Fizzing and crackling fills the night-time sky as the small log-like guardians of Ayeka make a reappearance around the space pirate.

" Hahaha, I have you now you disgusting piece of dung. HAHAHA!" Activating on her command the guardians discharge their power straight into the captive held imprisoned in their midst. More and more of Ayeka's power flows into the attack, the power of high birth striking down the scum of the universe. Screams of pain try to tear out of Ryoko as raw energy sears her flesh all the while the death grip on her tightens. Even Vegeta sitting on the side-lines is getting quite disturbed by the crazed laughter of Ayeka echoing off the valleys and mountains. This is getting more interesting by the second, such promise for strong fighters so close to the surface, but his body yearns for activity. Still observing at the top of the cliff he lifts himself up onto one finger and, as always, begins to relentlessly exercise. A hand lashes out through the globe of energy being violently channelled into Ryoko and it goes straight for Ayeka's face. Both hands occupied strangling the life out of Ryoko the princess has no means with which to defend herself as the pirate's hand fixes onto the side of her face and the thumb slowly starts pressing painfully into her eye socket in an attempt to gouge out one of her dark pink eyes. Fearing for the loss of her eyeball and with its vision already greatly decreasing, Ayeka frantically starts to pull at Ryoko's hand to dislodge it.

" Ain't laughing now are you!" Bright red light ignites in Ryoko's hand clamped onto Ayeka's face as a knee slams into the princess' diaphragm. A sharp rod of solidified crimson energy is thrust at Ayeka's side whilst the hand of Ryoko still on her face releases the charged ki point blank. Saved by an unintentional spasm caused by the pain of a blast to her face, the stab from Ryoko's energy sword misses and barely grazes the intended target. Ayeka is sent sprawling back and dives for the safety of the ground, all the time holding the side of her face. Ryoko stays in the air regaining her breath and putting more of her ki into her sword to strengthen it. " Not so pretty now are you. Boohoo, what a pity." Ryoko gloats over this small victory and her successful escape. Watching the dripping of blood from Ayeka pleases her.

" My- M- MY EYE! I-I-I can't see! No, no, no, no, NO! Ryoko I will kill you! YOU HEAR ME! I WILL END YOU!" Blood pours from her eye socket, eyelid closed as more sanguine fluid seeps from her blinded eye. If what she felt before was pure rage then this emotional state has no word to describe it, enraged into an animalistic feral state where only blood is on her mind.

" Come on then bitch !" This time Ayeka does not move from her spot, she stands her ground. Depth perception is impossible with just one working eye, the shock of the pain is still riding high in her body. Vegeta took his eyes off them for a split-second to retrieve their belongings left behind at the beach and it has all gone to hell. Ayeka's face is covered in a sheet of blood and both women seem even more hell bent to destroy the other. He decides a second trip is in order, one to get senzu beans for the ways things are going they will certainly need them. This fight has only just begun.

In defiance of her handicapping injuries Ayeka stands strong. The strong cerulean sphere of energy defending her from most of Ryoko's attacks. From his grandstand seat Vegeta understands what the princess is trying to do, the technique she is employing takes much less energy from her body than she is getting by resting and recuperating within its safety. Smart, but it won't win the duel anytime soon. He is not the only fighter from the stars that sees this delaying tactic for what it is, all Ryoko has to do is simply wait. A cat prowling right outside her mouse hole, Ayeka struggles through the pain of a broken nose and burnt eye to think of what she can do.

" As entertaining as it is to watch you slowly stare each other to death, are you going to actually do any fighting any time soon?" Two sets of eyes brimming with hate fix their attention onto Vegeta with 'The look', the one honed by females of all cultures and places of birth down every generation, the look designed especially for grinding down males into dust. " Thought not …" Kicking the hornets nest was unwise, sheepishly looking away and concentrating back on his perpetual exercising he tries to fade back away into the background.

" You stay out of this! This does not concern you." Nasal tones break through the princess' words as she coughs out the blood running freely into her mouth.

" Yeah, this is between me and her." Ryoko and Ayeka agreeing on something during a death match, there is something Vegeta thought would never happen. If he were fighting Goku the last thing he would want would be anyone coming between him and victory so he understands their feelings and respects them.

Stars continue to turn in the heavens as time trudges on with the two fighting women. Not before long the surface of the natural arena is malformed with small craters, cracks running its full length and one quarter of it just gone. Strafing the mountain with bombardments of dark red death Ryoko flies high and untouchable. Exploding flares flash bouts of illumination showing the silhouette of Ayeka brushing off these blasts with short bursts of her defensive powers, dirt and debris tearing thin shreds and rips in her clothing. Still standing resolute, she will not back down. Surrendering now she might as well pack her bags and leave this planet forever, Ayeka is not even contemplating the thought of giving up. Suddenly all is quiet, the sky is empty and the flames on the mountainside being to extinguish themselves.

Fists, elbows, knees and feet bash against each other. All the while their eyes fiery with adversarial hate keep locked, extreme hand to hand combat does nothing to distract them from the visage of the one they detest above all others. Scuffs and abrasions dot their borrowed clothing and limbs as knuckles become red and sore from overuse. The pirate is only just getting warmed up throughout this hour of vicious sparring against the crown princess to the throne of Jurai. Years have passed since Ryoko had to fight at this level to take down an opponent, not including Vegeta, and the thrill of this fight is exciting her and getting her blood boiling again like when she was the scourge of the universe.

" Whoops, oh dear looks like my hand slipped." Incandescent light from her bright red sword lights up Ayeka's face as she smells singed hair, one of her long ponytails flops onto the floor.

" Why you! AAH -" What was an equal trading of blows descends into a life or death game of dodge for the princess as lightning quick arcs tear apart the air, bursts of heat searing the ground and her skin as the sword of Ryoko edges ever closer. Slash after slash drifts dangerously close to the woman postponing the event of impalement or dismemberment with all her energy and agility. This dance of death wearies and tires Ayeka awfully, never able to act in an offensive manner and constantly having to defend herself with a nimble sidestep here or summoning her shield to deflect an unavoidable lunge there.

Finally, an opening reveals itself. Ryoko's guard is down during a particularly inaccurate stab and Ayeka takes this chance to even the playing field, she grabs nothing but air as the afterimage fades away. One hand seizes the back of her neck and forces her down onto her knees and a searing hot lance rests on her shoulder.

" Kneeling before me now are we princess? I am honoured … . Oh no, don't try and move. my hand just might go and slip again and we wouldn't want that would we?" Ryoko's mocking as she stands victorious makes Ayeka forget all about the sword by her throat, her noble birth will not allow her to be made fun of and humbled like this.

" Huh, what's Vegeta doing over there?"

" Ooh I want to see!" Reminded of the Saiyan, every other thought leaves Ryoko's mind as she glances about to see what interesting thing he is apparently doing. Vegeta is currently holding his head in his palms and cringing at her stupendous idiocy, how ever could a pirate be fooled by the simplest trick that wouldn't even fool Sasami.

" Hey he's not doing anything Ayeka … SHIT!" Looking back to her captive of war she remembers the fight she was in the middle of and roars in rage seeing no one next to her sword. Instead of her royal majesty at her feet lie miniature Juraian guardians humming full of energy. " Uh-oh." Ryoko teleports out of range of the potent shock Ayeka's guardians discharge into a transformed battleground. Dotted about in regiments around every square meter hover still more of the princess' summoned protectors, all alternating the power within them at random intervals. So many things producing or radiating ki completely inhibits the sensory abilities of Ryoko that Ayeka does not have, flashes of blues and greens here and there to mask any visual cues. A hefty rock smashes against the back of the pirate's head, Ayeka follows through quickly with a hard kick to the back and springs high into the air to finish off the wounded enemy.

" Naughty, naughty." Arms appear out of the air with the rest of Ryoko and wrap around Ayeka's forearms in a full Nelson as the cyan haired one quickly teleports for a second time. Deep in the uninhabited valleys below with just a foot to the floor both women appear, Ayeka sees the ring out and technical loss looming too close for comfort. Instinct kicks in and Ayeka grabs the only thing her hands can, the elfin ears of Ryoko, and a piercing screech of a banshee scares all the roosted birds happily asleep out of the trees. The hands of the princess, once so delicate and ladylike, lose contact with the facial appendages when Ryoko phases to escape the pain. Her hands are clasped to either side of her head when a bony elbow slams into her face, the built up Juraian energy within it cancelling out her lack of physical being. One oversized canine falls from the gums of Ryoko, she disappears into the night leaving just a bloody fang to splash into a small, muddy puddle.

Ayeka doesn't trust the quiet, like everyone else in a dangerous situation before her she believes it to be too quiet. In the silence she returns to the designated place for the tournament for two. Only Vegeta is there holding a tooth in one hand and her headpiece in the other, Ryoko is nowhere to be seen. His eyes are on her for she is the only one there to look at, he knows where Ryoko is but turning his gaze there would be unfair. Fresh tears mix with the congealed scabs of blood, she turns her head from him and covers her face with one hand – the side ruined by Ryoko. She can't help thinking what his views on her are now he has seen her in this disgraced state; her beauty diminished and all traces of nobility washed away in rage. Ryoko is the one to blame for all this she deems, this thought is unclouded in her mind and if the she-demon is responsible for ruining her chances with this man, the first man she has ever come to develop feelings for, every breath in her body will be given to vanquishing her. Amber traces diffuse into the fabric of the eastern sky, this night will soon be over.

" Hiding like the coward you are, face me damn you!" Snapping her head side to side reveals nothing to Ayeka. Trying to make up for the blind spot that is the left hand side of her face she could really use the ability to sense ki and if she had it then pinpointing Ryoko would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately for her though she is left with little hope in locating the one stalking her, a phantasm in the mists swirling about unseen. Rising up out of the shadow of Ayeka comes a ghostly hand. Pale fingers move and get into position, the princess is none the wiser. First thing Ayeka knows of this is when something grips her ankle and yanks hard. Reaction saves her as Ayeka puts her hands out to stop the fall she is tumbling into. Her foot was too slow in paying back the hand as it disappears back into the ground. On her hands and knees Ayeka cautiously glances about so she can defend herself from the next attack. Ryoko's sword smashes through the rock. Diving to the side just in the nick of time Ayeka is spared from being stabbed, rolling down into one of the more sizeable craters she catches a glimpse of two gleaming irises vanishing back into the stone. Several more times a deadly thrust bursts forth from the ground and for the most part Ayeka dodges them, all but the last one that leaves a thin gash on her collarbone. Ryoko's aim is purposefully sloppy, if she wanted to stab Ayeka through her heart it would already be so but Vegeta did say no killing so for now she will abide that limitation as she whittles down her opponent.

The Saiyan prince has observed all that has unravelled and pieced together the plans of attack, he has to say he is impressed with their ability to analyse a situation. Ryoko is making the very ground beneath Ayeka's feet dangerous to force her to fly so that she can be trapped in the favoured element of the space pirate. In-between his hanging sit-ups, where only his feet stay on the battleground and his body droops over the drop, he calculates how much longer Ayeka will be able to hold out. At this rate it is only a matter of minutes before another injury befalls her and her beaten and bruised self loses. Royalty from a proud race being defeated in close combat, déjà vu for Vegeta. In the short time it takes for Ayeka to finally rise back to her feet and minimise the area of herself in danger from the stabbing energy sword Ryoko is already in position, coiled and ready like a cobra.

" YEEAAARRGGH!" A rod of burning red embeds itself into her calf. Vegeta smells roasting flesh, he is mutually let down that it isn't the aroma of food and how only a sprinkle of minutes passed since he predicted the downfall of Ayeka Jurai. " GAAAAAAH!" Bone is bored through, the blade of Ryoko has penetrated straight through Ayeka's lower leg. Dark chuckles of mad laughter resound from the rock as a woman's face pops into view. Tears well up in the single eye of the princess, teeth grit and grind as she battles the pain destroying her will to go on and so she uses her healthy leg to stomp and crush Ryoko's hand.

" AAH FUCK!" Fingers dislocate, knuckles displace and phalanges shatter under the full force directed unto them. Contorting in agony the hand shoots back underground with the skewering sword dissipating into nothing. Rivers of sweat brought on from pain intermingle with the red fluid oozing from Ayeka, panting hard as shock tries to take over her battered form. Menacing eyes of gold pierce through the night as Ryoko comes into being not too far from Vegeta holding her disabled hand. " I was going to go easy on you. I was going to let you walk out of here and still be able to hold your head up high. I was maybe going to just let you go with a handful of bad injuries. I was." Two blood ridden fingernails fall from her injured hand. "Now … now you can wave goodbye to all that. Die." The gloves are off as a guttural roar rises from Ryoko as her secret is unleashed, the monumental increase in her physical strength and ki abilities from the training she underwent during Vegeta's death. Small red flames lick around her body as she raises her palm slowly. Something the size of a small car impacts into the hastily thrown up shield of Ayeka, a maroon fireball colliding against the azure barrier. One faint hairline fracture splits the Juraian's defence down the middle. Imploding in on itself as it shatters like glass the shield fails, it cannot cope with this amount of power and the one it is meant to protect shrieks in terror. A hard leathery foot cracks into the smoking hole in the back of her calf, embers and blood ridden ashes gush forth. Ayeka's leg gives way just as the ki blast carries on its path of destruction where her head previously was, the concussive wave following pins her flat on the ground. A thin trickle of blood spurts out the charred hole in her leg as Ryoko continues to prod it with her foot and a great crimson pool spreads out from the princess' face, the great agitation of rock floor hitting her at speed pulverising more cartilage in her nose.

" Give up Ayeka." Yet another newly spawned white hot staff presses like a blazing poker against the back of the princess' neck. Empathy, sympathy or any humanoid emotion have been lost from Ryoko's speech.

" No, I … will … beat you … yet."

" It's over Ayeka, surrender." The sword moves and hovers over the right hand of Ayeka as Ryoko offers her last drop of kindness. She awaits the response from Ayeka.

" I WILL NOT!" Ayeka is not thinking about what will come next, she has set her mind in mule-like stubbornness against ever giving up to her bane even when in no position to fight back. With the pressure relieved from the nape of her neck she starts to squirm, trying to get back to her feet even with an injured leg.

" So be it." Red falls and red drips. Granite turns molten beneath Ayeka's hand right where the sword passed through her ring finger, most of the digit instantly vaporised. Not one scream or sound passes from Ayeka's mouth, still she tries to rise and face the pirate. Unexpected help comes as Ryoko lifts her up and turns the princess to face her as she places a hand on Ayeka's shoulder and the other on her forearm. The fatigued and free arm of Ayeka whacks into the icy cold face next to hers, she retracts it back and continues to let loose as each feeble attempt gets more pitiful than the last. Bone and socket disconnect from one another after a push on Ayeka's now dislocated arm, Ryoko releases it and it flops limply by the side of the slumping royal. Blood and tears are all Ayeka has to offer to this fight now, her strength and spirit have left her, she held out valiantly but against an insurmountable power. This ending was inevitable. What started off as an angry feud for vengeance has led to pain, shame and grave wounds; she can take it no more and collapses forward onto Ryoko.

" This … this p-proves nothing. J-just let me … me rest and then … and then you're going down." Ryoko will gift Ayeka the rest she asks for and moves aside so gravity can complete its job and take Ayeka down onto the jagged and broken ground. Soft and gently she impacts, but no peace will find her when laying prone on the ground. The heel of Ryoko cracks down on the back of her head and stays there holding her in place.

" Ayeka, say it. Say you surrender." Toes dig into the purple hair as they grind the bloodied face of Ayeka into the dirt and the trusty weapon of Ryoko is back in her clawed hand that isn't mangled.

" I will … I will never, never … never say those words." Those mumbled words were the wrong answer, the penalty for a wrong answer is a brutal stomp. Still clinging to consciousness, Ayeka remains obstinate through the pain.

" Be reasonable, I could kill you right now. The longer you keep up this stiff upper lip the more damage I can do to you and you know what? I don't think Vegeta really likes badly malformed blobs of flesh like the one I seem to have stepped in."

" Go to hell … go and die." Faint words seep from the stone surrounding Ayeka's face, tailing off at the end into a hushed silence. Ryoko blinks slowly and when her feline eyes reopen they have the devil within them, the sword lowers.

" Poor Sasami, gonna grow up without a sister. Let's just have one more bit of fun before I exhaust all possible use I can have with you. Ha-ha, you won't enjoy this. No, not one bit." Dark smiles and dark laughter, a sword with the taste for sweet flesh and a helpless woman.

" Do what you want. … See if I … Gah!" Flesh burns away before the sabre in scrawled handwriting. " What … what are you - "

" R … Y … O …" With her one hand still able to hold the sword Ryoko carves slowly and carefully, she would not want to mess up this violation of Ayeka's body. " … K …"

" No! Stop!" Pleads for mercy fall on deaf ears. More tears fall from Ayeka's working eye realising what Ryoko is doing, she can't bare the thought. " Please stop!"

" … O …" Such sweet music, the anguished cries of the defeated Juraian princess as she desecrates her previously unscarred back. " … apostrophe … and there we go, S! All done. Now, beg for your life." Branding Ayeka as her own personal property has made Ryoko feel a whole world better since the injuries she sustained. Complete with punctuation she surveys her handiwork, savouring the cries of Ayeka. " I said beg! Beg like the worthless dog you are." Just for a bit of encouragement the space pirate sheathes her sword back into the readymade hole in Ayeka's leg.

" AAAARRGH! Just stop, please, please, please stop! The pain … it's … it's too …" The princess' tearful voice fades into sobs as the sword continues to worm about in her open wound. " Ryoko, have mercy! … STOP!"

" Come on, you can do better than that. I thought with your life depending on it you would put in a little more effort. Again." Ryoko takes out the sword from Ayeka's calf and moves it over to her other leg. Just leaving it there hanging ominously for a few seconds before lowering it against the princess' flesh.

" Ryoko stop, I …. I-I beg of you please just stop. Y-You … You win. You win Ryoko. Just stop hurting me, please stop, please stop, stop, I –I can't … . Stop. Ryoko." A great shuddering sigh escapes Ayeka when the lance of fire stops piercing her lower leg. With her physical suffering dying down her mind contemplates the dreadful words she was forced to utter, being debased to pathetically pleading to this woman standing above her.

" That wasn't so hard was it. Now since you lost you know what that means, I get the prize. Go back to Jurai, Ayeka. I don't want to see your ugly face again. Vegeta is mine." Gloating and bathing in the warm sensation of victory at hearing the concession of Ayeka, Ryoko takes this opportunity to rub salt into the fresh wounds and kick the princess when she is down with the thing most guaranteed to hurt.

" NO! Noooooo. I will not let you! Vegeta is not yours! He can't be, he won't be!" Though left with not a single ounce of energy left in her body, Ayeka still tries to lift herself up with her arms. Weakly struggling to hold up her own weight she raises her head to look across the ravaged battlefield to the man sat at the side-lines of it all. " Vegeta, help me. Vegeta please …" Her distant and quiet words are picked up by the Saiyan ears, being stuck in the role of observer for this match he now stands up tall.

" My aid will firmly announce your forfeit of this fight and Ryoko will be the victor." He might be a knight that occasionally dons shining armour but rescuing damsels in distress was never something he ever went out of his way to do. Ryoko's attempts to make her rival in romance the least appealing she can be is only affecting Vegeta through this grovelling, he cannot stand the weak and the helpless. A show of such woeful feebleness from this woman, although under such circumstances it is not unreasonable to see someone not used to fighting in a state like this.

" I don't care Vegeta, just make it stop. I love you!" Three special words don't change anything for the cold hearted prince. He already had full knowledge of the true extent of her feelings for him and saying them out loud does nothing for him. She opened her heart to him and he stands there debating whether to get involved in this matter. A duel between two people should never be interrupted by an outsider is his firm belief yet this is hardly a duel, this is torture before the final blow is struck.

" No more talk princess. Your time is up." Cyan hair billows outwards as the space pirate zooms into the sky with great concentric rings of power converging on her functioning hand. Ryoko did not want Ayeka to say what she said, it could complicate maters and her plan was going as smooth as they ever do. Reaching the zenith of her ascent she somersaults into a spiralling dive and a magnificent flash of orange and red power manifests in her clenched fist. Speeding up to her top speed in this deadly descent she draws back her fist bloody from use and lets out a last battle cry to end the match. The punch lands.

Craggy boulders violently hewn out of the mountainside blast into the sky and disintegrate with the secondary shockwave, coating the landscape in a fog of dust and rocky debris. Something is wrong. Ryoko can detect it, even with this blinding film obscuring her view two other senses work in unison to give her the answer. The sense of touch tells her she hit someone stood vertically upwards and not laying inert on the ground, a high ki energy reading just confirms her thoughts. What she did not want to happen above all other things shows its face: a pronounced widows peak, the frown of a man who has seen and caused too much death and a thin red line escaping his mouth. Vegeta stands in the way, having taken the brunt of the blow to intercept what otherwise would have ended Ayeka's life.

" V-Vegeta, get out of my way." Ryoko retracts her fist back to her side as she touches back down onto terra firma. His eyes follow her, unblinking like a reptile as his hand moves to crack his broken jaw back into place.

" She conceded victory to you twice Ryoko, she said it herself and called for aid. I said that killing would not be permitted so I am here to enforce that one single rule, I stood by as you had your way with Lady Ayeka even though by any right I should have ended the match there and then. You won Ryoko, congratulations." No applause, no words of praise just a straight and simple congratulations. Ryoko wants more, she is hungry for more after all the hard work and large amount of time she spent.

" Humph, I wasn't even trying and just look at that cry-baby. I should finish her right now but I guess you ain't gonna let me. So how are you going to make it up to me then, robbing me of finally being able to get rid of her. I seem to remember some sort of prize being promised." The Saiyan is glad that Ryoko is not pushing for the execution of Ayeka but this reminder of another thing she wants is something he'd rather do without. A knowing look is exchanged between the pair, both understanding perfectly what the other is thinking.

" Yes, I do recall you saying something along those lines. Don't think I ever said I agreed to it though." If she thought just saying something would cause Vegeta to do it she needs to work on her persuasive skills, if he decides something it is permanently set in stone. Vegeta smirks seeing her childish frown at his decline, winding the women up is exactly like using puppets – just pull a string and watch their reaction.

" But I won. I won fair and square, I should get my reward. Look I even caused you to bleed like you asked me to do all that time ago." Shivers run down the mountain as she stomps her feet in tantrum.

" Calm down Ryoko. You trained whilst I was dead and it shows, it shows a lot. Fighting like that impressed me, if you continue like this one day you will make a fine warrior indeed. But for now you will get what you deserve." Bright and happy eyes shine at him then go back into a scowl looking at the small grey bean held out in his hand. She can't refuse what he is offering though and sullenly takes it from his hand and swallows the Senzu bean whole as flesh knits itself back together, her broken fingers repair and the gap in her teeth refills. Left alone without aid the basic regenerative properties of her body could have healed the wounds within an hour but she did expend more energy than she wants to let on during that marathon of a fight.

" I deserve a kiss. A kiss on the lips, not any of this cheek business. Full of passion and - " Ryoko is shut up mid argument in a most pleasing way. Taken by surprise at the suddenness of it all her yellow eyes open wide before her mind catches up with what is happening and she sinks into it willingly. A slight blush tinges the prince's cheeks as he gives her what she has desired for a long time. She completely yields herself over to the subtle strength of his lips as her heart flutters within her chest. Overcome with ecstasy she hardly notices when the kiss ends and Vegeta's lips part from hers still so eager to continue. The man steps back from her seeing her all misty eyed with a womanly glow, a femme fatale on the point of murder turned to a blushing love-struck maiden. Ryoko's eyes let loose one drop of pure happiness as she turns from the Saiyan prince who has put her in such an unfamiliar state for her, she watches the red Sun rise over the horizon and leaves him to deal with the one she bested. Contently she sits on cloud nine uncaring about anything else.

Vegeta kneels down next to the princess unable to rise under her own steam, laying in a pool of her bodily fluids – tears and blood staining the clothing he spawned. Gently rolling her over into his arms he pushes a Senzu bean into her mouth which she weakly chews. The magical vegetable might rejuvenate all wounds and heal all of the horrendous injuries she received during the fight but her weeping only gets stronger when she feels his touch and her second eye regains its tear ducts. Cradling her head in her arms he places the headpiece back where it rightfully belongs, only at that time do her eyes open and sorrowfully look at him.

" I … I have f-failed you Lord Vegeta. I lost … I lost you to her." Still more fresh waters seep from her bleary eyes as he wipes them from her smooth cheeks, Vegeta's eyes searching whether every injury was successfully healed. Beans grown at Korin's tower have restorative powers unseen by any other edible material, yet they fail when it comes to scars as he finds out with his hand on her back. His fingers feel the cleft of a letter.

" Lady Ayeka I understand how you feel. Losing fights cuts deep, I know this unfortunately from more experience than I would prefer." Goku, Zarbon, Recoome, Frieza, Android 18, Cell, Majin Buu, the list of ones who made him swallow a slice of humble pie. " But I am not some stuffed toy to be won at the carnival, winning a fight does not entitle the winner to a Saiyan prince." With her strength returning to her she starts to fidget in his hold, trying to pull away from him and this awful sense of betrayal.

" B-but … you and her, you … kissed her." Her salmon eyes shy from him as her whole body turns and shuns away from him. The hand on her back can feel her body trembling, an undying amount of sobs ushering forth. She fought so hard and tried her absolute best, she went to the brink of death and suffered so much just for it all to be thrown back in her face. All her efforts for naught, like standing next to the ocean's of her dreams and wishing for the waves to stop moving. But now it was the man who frequents her dreams that has cut a traitorous hole in her heart. What hurts the most isn't the loss but how easily he gave into that woman's desires whilst she lay broken.

" That I did. She was victorious in your grudge match and as was decided between you to she got to claim her prize." Vegeta speaks the truth. There is no point in playing complex word games, she needs to hear what he has to say despite her reluctance. Juraian muscles tense from his blunt exclamation as a pained breath is inhaled. " But Lady Ayeka, does Ryoko's physical prowess and combative skills prove anything except she is a hardened veteran of many years of fighting with the roughest the galaxy can throw at her and you an inexperienced young woman born to a higher social class with no need to fight? You showed the attitude and perhaps even the aptitude to be a fighter but that is not what you are, no more than Sasami would be a swordswoman if I gave her Trunks' sword."

" Shut up. I've had enough insults today to last me a lifetime. I don't need Lord Vegeta to tell me how bad I obviously am at what he thinks the whole world revolves around. Can you … can you just leave me be." She has had enough of hearing his gruff voice. Standing up she moves away from him and takes her hair out of the lonely ponytail she has left. Blackened charred stumps intermingling with the flows of radiant purple.

" You fail to understand what I am getting at. Yes my life is devoted to battle, that is what I was born to do, what I was raised to do and what I have chosen to do. Ryoko has also chosen this path but you Lady Ayeka have a different destiny. Kakarot's wife attempted fighting and that was how that clown and she proposed to each other, poor unlucky woman got stuck as a house wife with an imbecile and only got a break when he was dead for seven years. Ayeka, not everyone is meant for war and this I understand: Washu is a scientist, Sasami is a cook and you are Lady Ayeka, high princess of the Juraian empire."

" Is that supposed to make me feel better? That I am of a different world than you two who seem to have so much in common, like sadism for example. … Why didn't you stop her? … I was in pain, it hurt so much. I thought I was going to die Vegeta. I was so scared and afraid yet you did nothing. Why? Tell me why I was left to bleed!" A wash of amethyst hair whips around as the princess demands answers from the prince. Her ragged breaths puncturing the night as Ayeka barely keeps herself under control from the tempest of emotions broiling inside. Vegeta, still in just his swimming trunks, walks bare foot across the jagged rocks and slimy pools of dark red to stand before her and look deep into her angry eyes.

" I don't know, I saw what Ryoko was doing but I stood idly by. Exacting pain is more my cup of tea. I thought that stepping in would belittle all you had done, showing you to be dependent on others not the strong and capable woman you are. I take full responsibility for the wrongs that were done to you."

" Responsibility, what good is that to me? All I want is her to feel what I felt and see how much she enjoys it."

" Revenge is what got you in this mess, it will not solve the problem unless you dramatically increase your strength. Calm down."

"Calm down? After all that has happened you just want me to forget about it … after you and her- "

" Lady Ayeka, Ryoko said first place received a kiss from me but as runner up I believe you should get a consolation prize. If you want first place then you are going to have to work for it. Life does not give freely." An arm able to crush lunar objects pulls her close to him. Anger gives way to fear which in turn gives way to uncertainty, with her arms pinned between both of their bodies she can only watch as his head moves closer to hers. It's all so quick, so sudden for the princess. Ayeka was not prepared at all, her first kiss is but an all too fleeting touch. Heat radiating from the ki of Vegeta echoing the growing heat on her face. For a second place prize she did not expect anything of this magnitude; like the gentle touch of the tide gracing the wet sands of the shore. The Saiyan calls Ryoko over, now only lightly holding onto the Juraian currently going through the same mixture of emotions that captivated Ryoko for that amount of time. The space pirate being away with the fairies and fantasising as she watched the break of a new dawn definitely made Vegeta's job easier. Joyfully obliging, the first one to receive his kiss teleports and hugs onto him with even greater affection than she normally has and totally ignores the other woman shyly looking at her hands.

One Instant Transmission later and back through the threshold of Vegeta's house the three walk, their day out well and truly over as the blackest depths of night only just begin at this lakeside retreat. The Saiyan trusts them to enter the house and behave together while still in their partial bliss induced trance when he remembers the bags of their belongings he forgot and left behind on a cold mountaintop. Ryoko and Ayeka are oblivious to the other as they amble into the front room and get snapped out of what idyllic thoughts they were having by the scene they aimlessly walked straight into. Yamcha and Washu look up at them; him topless, laying sprawled on the sofa with the cushions thrown to the far corners of the room and with a certain scientist straddling his abdominals. Ryoko can only think how she would quite like Vegeta to act like that with her when the two caught canoodling break off and disengage from the other after this unwanted interruption. Yamcha's wingman Puar hovers up and drops off the top half of the bandit's clothing as he struggles trying to put it on with Washu unmoving from her position. A long stream of pinkish hair tickles his belly and chest still, having given up on putting on his clothing when trapped beneath whom he was passionately kissing not so long ago.

" You took your time didn't you, seems like you two had a busy day. What happened, did he make you train for the whole day in those stupid getups?" Washu is more inquisitive about the change of garments and rips and tears in them than she is embarrassed by the compromising position she was found in. The trackers she hid on them before they left stopped reporting in not long after they departed when an extreme power surge she has taken to just calling Vegeta knocked them offline.

" If you must know Washu I believe this will be of great interest to you, for you see it was not training that left these gifts from Vegeta in this state but a fierce battle staged between me and that halfwit girl. Needless to say little miss prim and proper can be quite mean when she wants to be and if you thought she looks hideous now, well you ain't seen nothing yet. Against this brute though I persevered and with the power of love on my side I overthrew the tyrannical princess in this perfectly fair contest of force." Ayeka bristles as Ryoko twists what truly happened against her. She did not mention the appaling horrors she suffered through or the true nature of Ryoko she had the misfortune of witnessing first hand. Attempting the exact same thing and expecting different results to occur is a sign of madness, or so people say, but that does not stop Ayeka. Having only been back on her feet a very short time after the walloping she took her claws are out and she is ready to pounce.

" Seems I misjudged you again. You two should come with a safety label reading 'requires supervision at all time'. Apparently letting you two fight it out doesn't seem to have settled anything between you. Control yourself Lady Ayeka, you're just playing into her hands." Vegeta stands in the middle of the room like he has been there the whole time, setting down the bags on the floor his eyes drift onto the couple entangled on his couch. Before either woman can continue their everlasting argument he strides towards the two and continues speaking leaving them no gap to poke fun at the other, grievously insult the other, misbehave or disturb the peace in any way, shape or form.

" Today has been a busy day for you Ryoko and Lady Ayeka, I suggest you go to bed and get some rest." Without a second word the Juraian princess goes up to the room she shares with her younger sister who at this late time has been asleep for a few hours. Ayeka has no wish to stay in the same room as the villainous space pirate who desecrated her body, she has a lot to think about as so much happened today and would prefer to be alone during that time. Ryoko on the other hand sees sleep as something not specifically for her at this minute in time and would prefer to spend a good deal more time with Vegeta now Ayeka has left. That is not to be. Vegeta points up the stairs and sternly looks at her. " Ryoko, bed. Now."

" Whatever you say Vegeta." She didn't require as much persuading as the Saiyan thought she would do to leave him in peace as she phases up through the ceiling after blowing him a kiss and mischievously winking at him. His attention fixes on the two adults making use of his furniture in ways he was never going to, Vegeta does not seem amused.

" Children reside here, leave antics like that for behind closed doors if you must indulge yourselves with such tomfoolery."

" But Vegeta you seem to forget … I am a child." A fairly comical look of shock plays across Yamcha's face as the woman on him regresses backwards through to the beginnings of puberty. He cannot recoil further back into the chair at this sudden change. Kicking her shorter legs to the side she gracefully dismounts her stunned lover, such inexplicable confusion at what he witnessed though he knew full well she was capable of it. Washu seems bored now, Vegeta is never the life of the conversation and what enjoyment her and Yamcha were just beginning to get into can no longer continue in this place, she heads back towards the door under the stairs. No sooner does she get her hand onto the doorknob and begin to twist then a low gravelly voice breaks the silence of the house.

" I worked it out, fitted all the pieces of the puzzle together. I know what you are … Tuffle." All of Washu's motions stop, her hand retracts from the portal into her laboratory and confidently she turns with her own little smile to meet the smirk of Vegeta. Yamcha is none the wiser as to what direction this conversation has taken and they are not about to explain it to the human who has seen so little of what is beyond his own planet.

" I was wondering how long it would take you, well done you broke most of my estimates. Thought it'd take you at least another week to figure it out. Heh, apparently not all Saiyans are barbaric dunderheads."

" You indeed did not leave me with much to go on. The Tuffles were the most scientific and advanced race known, it makes sense that you are one. One thing though I don't get: how did you stay quiet about it for so long, that even he who you share bed with had no idea, when you were staying under the same roof as the son of your race's harbinger of doom." He might not have been born till after the ten year Saiyan-Tuffle war had being waged and the planet taken but during the short time prince and king had together his father always recounted the story of how they took hold of the planet he named after himself. Washu does not appear to be exhibiting the kind of emotion he would normally think a sapient creature would when with someone of the species responsible for their own species' extinction.

" You think the sins of the father are passed onto the son? True I have no love for your kind, except for research purposes, but you think someone as smart as me would hate an individual for something that they themselves did not do? You had nothing to do with what your cunning father did, or how he lucked out on our lunar cycle. We are both victims of the genocides that occurred on Planet Plant now, neither of us having our original homeworld and being more or less the last of our kind." Both have been stripped of all family and kin by an overpowering might, both having that blood coloured planet ripped from them permanently. A moments silence passes between the two opposing sides of life; the creative genius and the destroyer of worlds as they respect those who fell during the extinction events.

" Not all of the Tuffles who survived were so sympathetic. Another scientist called Dr. Raichi did not seem to share your beliefs, were you aware of the Hatchiyak project?" Vegeta tests the waters with this question, he needs to know whether she is really a wolf in sheep's clothing or not. He doesn't trust her much as it is but with her species being wiped out by King Vegeta finding out if there is any residual blame placed on him and a chance she will focus her attention on making his life a greater misery might as well be done.

" Hatchiyak? Don't tell me he actually got that child's toy of mine to finally work, it was hardly worth my genius being wasted on a bucket of bolts like that. No power source I ever tried was efficient enough for it to be a viable weapon, Vegeta what did he use?" Vegeta can rest easy tonight, Washu does not seem to care that an attempt to eradicate the Saiyans failed at all.

" You obviously underestimated what that machine was capable of. Grudge amplifying device is all he said about it really … when he was still alive and it wasn't busy taking on 4 super Saiyans at once." At the mention of its true capabilities she goes giddy with excitement and the laughter of a mad scientist soon follows.

" 4 like you and Goku? HA! I amaze even myself sometimes."

" Throughout the whole time that he wasn't being scraped off my boots do you now what that other Tuffle said of you?" The ego of Washu is baited as she goes silent and Vegeta's smirk widens. " Nothing. Nothing at all, he did not credit you or mention your name. Why is it that one of your inventions could nearly kill me, my son, Kakarot and his kid yet still you could not defend yourselves from a hundred Oozaru?" A quick one two punch from the Saiyan there as he knocks Washu down a few rungs. Frankly she looks majorly pissed and Vegeta is having trouble deciphering which of his taunting slights angered her the most: was it that someone stole years of her life's work and claimed it as their own whilst surpassing it with a brilliant idea she ought to have thought of or the mockery he made of her inability to save the lives of her science academy friends as they were burned and crushed by monstrous apes.

" Yamcha, we're leaving." Washu turns and exits into the single place she can call her own with Yamcha standing up and following her. He says goodnight to Vegeta, who ignores him, and slowly goes to the closing doorway unsure about Washu's bodily change and whether she will go back to an appearance of someone of legal age.

Chimes call in the midnight hour in the front room for only Vegeta to hear, he looks to the clock and sees it is indeed the witching hour and his ears were not deceiving him. It is late, too late for him to do the training he wants to do. Having not gone to sleep the previous night and having a lightning fast metabolism he is ready for a few hours rest before he goes back to the daily grind. Faint scratching at the door as he passes it on his way to the land of nod alerts him to one forlorn Ryo-ohki having been accidentally locked out and forgotten about, mewling to be let back into the warm house. Letting the cabbit back in his house she jumps straight onto his shoulder and meows at him contently, he shrugs off the critter thanking him and continues his march towards his room. Thin streams of light seep between the cracks of the door to his bedroom, he doesn't recall inadvertently leaving on the light switch but guesses he must have. Although one other possibility does arise in his mind but his senses do not confirm it.

No-one is in his room as he opens the door and closes it behind himself. Crossing the small distance to his bedside he stretches his arms out and yawns. Vegeta has no need of changing his clothes, not one for wearing pyjamas his current attire of swimming shorts will do him just fine. Closing the thin drapes over the window he is all set and ready for what will be a sleep his body urgently needs. Baby blue bed sheets are pulled back from his bed as he sits down ready to rest his body weary from being awake for so long. No act of surprise or shock comes when he hears a faint hiss in the air behind him, his senses start picking up a ki at a very close proximity and arms wrap themselves around his neck.

" Why are you in my bed Ryoko?" The space pirate's head rests on his broad muscular shoulders, nuzzling his cheeks with her own as he sits there. Ryoko's full eyelashes fluttering as she strives to get more from Vegeta than that one rapturous kiss she was blessed with.

" It's what you told me to do, remember? You said we got a full day with you so let's continue our time together right here, right now." Her sultry tones are whispered with a deep seated desire into his ears. The warmth of her body against his, her face next to his own, he begins to feel her straining to pull him down onto the bed properly and he resists. Vegeta stands up, pulling her arms off from around him.

" Ryoko it is past midnight, that day has been and gone. Sleep is what I need now not what is going through your mind." Vegeta's face is set in hardened stone, no smiles just a small frown of exasperation. Ryoko is kneeling on his bed looking up at him and Vegeta quickly turns his head away from her. The temptress of the night is not wearing the outfit from the fight she won but instead something she bought with his money, one of those private outfits she said she would show him one day and she has kept her word.

" You don't want me?" Her hurt and dejected eyes beseech him as he looks away from her, taking this avoidance as another heartless rejection of her feelings not that he is getting uncomfortable looking at a woman wearing what she is currently dressed in. Ryoko sitting in black lace lingerie and Vegeta stood in nothing more than underwear, he doesn't want to be going through things like this now.

" I want to sleep, in my own bed and alone. I trained through all of last night and am tired, let me rest in peace." Vegeta brusquely replies, hazarding a glance at her seductive nightwear she is wearing especially for him. He tries not to look for too long at the enticing female lest he fall victim to the siren's call. His harsh response hurts her, she looks down not knowing what she will have to do to earn his affection that she so longs for.

" Tell me Vegeta … do you love me?" Her golden eyes stare into his. Vegeta takes half a step back from this sudden intimate question, he can't tear his eyes from those locked on his own. His throat goes dry as any intelligent answer to her question flies out of his mind, tongue tied he stands there stuttering. " … Y-you love Ayeka, don't you..." Vegeta has no idea what to say under these circumstances as Ryoko continues to press her questioning. Sweat forms on his forehead as the prince's brain continues to draw blanks on shutting her up. Her voice is getting louder as Ryoko carries on her train of thought. " … You don't love me because I'm not a princess like her, I'm not ladylike or from high birth like you two are. You always call her 'Lady' but not me, why?"

" Did you get hit hard on the head during that fight? What's with these questions, you had all day and you choose now to bring this up. I'm tired, this can wait till morning." Vegeta finally comes back around to his senses but Ryoko continues pressing on the matter.

Noises are disturbing her rest, only having just laid her head down on the feather pillows of her bed Ayeka opens her eyes. Eyes that are red and puffy from crying. Getting ready for sleep she caught a glimpse of something new. Her blood froze as she saw it, flashes of the fight and the pain race through her mind as she sees the word etched across her back. She believed that the healing beans had got rid of what Ryoko did to her but they hadn't, just like they didn't regrow the locks of hair cut from her head. She felt pity for herself and disgust at her own body, no princess should be scarred in such a way.

The voices drifting through the walls get louder and louder till she can ignore them no longer. A female voice and a male voice, her depression has built an apathy to these sounds. A man and woman's voice that she begins to recognise. They sound as if they are both in his room talking to each other about something but Ayeka cannot think what they would both be doing talking at a time like this in his room at night-time alone. Immediately she springs out of her bed and barges open her door, waking up Sasami as she storms out down the corridor.

Vegeta and Ryoko turn to look at Ayeka as she slams open the door, bloodshot eyes with the same look they had in them when Ryoko called her a transvestite scan the room. Her fine and thin purple eyebrows frown and furrow as she takes in the scene seeing what Ryoko is, or mainly isn't, wearing.

" What are you doing here in Lord Vegeta's room?!" The Juraian seethes as she stomps towards the space farer.

" What's it look like? Same as you princess, just paying Vegeta a little night visit."

" Th-that is not what I am doing here!"

" Um, so why are you dressed in only your nightie then?" Ryoko raises her eyebrows in accusation, her sly tongue finding something to halt the princess' offensive. Ayeka stands still and looks down realising too late her state of dress hardly being any better than that of who she is complaining to concerning her indecency. Their attention is drawn to the groaning Vegeta, he is getting tired of the repetition of going through the same song and dance all the time.

" Can both of you exit my room, I am going to go to bed." Each second he is awake is more energy he is burning through at an alarming rate. Being a Saiyan is like being a candle five times as bright as all others, it isn't long before the wick is all gone and it is time to recharge.

" Oh you can go to bed all right, you won't be getting much sleep though, hehe." Another of Ryoko's winks is directed towards him as she pats next to her on the mattress. Snarls are elicited from Ayeka by such a lewd comment. Hands grab onto Ryoko's shoulders as she tries to prise her from the bed of her prince. Her efforts are in vain, neither woman is going to use their reserves of strength at a time like this so Ryoko simple has to put herself so her body is visible but unable to interact and be interacted with.

" What? What is it princess, you want to join in too? Sorry but that's not my style Ayeka." A faint redness seeps into Ayeka's cheeks at the insinuation as she backs away from the dirty minded pirate.

" Wha- no, no! It's not like that, I – I was just trying to -"

" Ok I give up. If you two are going to continue bothering me and keep me awake I might as well go and train." Vegeta's patience has waned into nothingness. His form vanishes from the room leaving the two women. For the second night in a row he trains till the Sun rises and beyond. There is no rest for the wicked.


	11. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 11: Day 36

Chapter 11

Ascending in a groggy fashion up out from the nadir of unnaturally enforced slumber he shrugs off the chains of lethargy and opens his eyelids to dim lighting and a metal tiled ceiling. Charts showing his skeletal system, neural pathways and circulatory system hover above his prone body, bar charts and line graphs dot the air with data he cannot understand. He moves his arm to scratch his nose, having long since realised he is somewhere within Washu's lab and she has been running her tests again. His wrist meets resistance. Yamcha's arm will not budge, neither will any of his other limbs. Looking about in alarm he sees the reason why: all but his torso and head have been completely and utterly encapsulated in several thick layers of a strange material. He has to turn his eyes back away from the restraints as just looking at them is causing him to develop a headache, they are made of a sleek and glossy metal but his mind cannot fathom how they are shining an impossible hue. A colour that is not a colour, an impossible colour that doesn't exist on Earth and should not exist at all. Dancing on the edge of perception being not a part of the visible light range.

All his reserves of strength and ki have been sapped from him. Laying still and staring up at the cold, metal ceiling he thinks to himself that he should have seen this coming sooner or later. Probably acting in a manner less alarmed than all other men would, he sighs to himself and resigns himself to the fact that she has finally developed something that can securely hold him and yield him no hope of escape. After long giving up the ghost of trying to use brute force to win himself freedom, he calls out to the darkness and the shadowy areas of the room for his jailer to release him. Suddenly, an impish face leans down over him with an evil grin, smirking at the unfortunate position this man has found himself in.

"Yes Yamcha?"

"Oh, I didn't see you over there. Sorry but it looks like I must have just gone and fallen asleep and accidentally activated these restraints so would you kindly let me go?" He sheepishly and worriedly smiles at her but that smile fades as her toothy grin widens. Washu's eyes gleaming in the low level lighting causes Yamcha's flesh to crawl with an urgent sense of foreboding.

"Silly Yamcha. Oh it was no accident, I can assure you. No need to worry though, simply had to do this for the invasive surgery." Alarm bells start ringing in his head as a horrified looks sweeps across his face. His muscular arms and legs clank about within their individual prisons but their efforts quickly end as they become leaden from fatigue.

"Surgery! What did you do to me Washu?" She silently observes his fruitless efforts to get off the slab he is welded to and flicks through the data feeds before turning to look back at him. Only once before has Yamcha ever felt this helpless before and that was when …

"You are on the ball today, aren't you Yamcha? Honestly, why would I not implement those energy absorbing devices of Dr. Gero into my restraints, it'd be stupid not to. How nice of you it is to make a great power supply for my lab. " Her smile slowly dissipates from her face as she leans her head closer to Yamcha's, her enjoyment out of watching him acting so unnerved is being spoilt by one little thing. For a moment her face disappears from his extremely limited field of view then pops back again with a slight frown showing, she appears to be holding something but he can't quite make it out. Her dainty hands move the object so he can get a good look at it: a large glass jar containing a translucent yellowish liquid quite similar to formaldehyde. One of her small fingers points at the thing suspended in the solution, her fingernails tap thrice on the glass.

"What is this?" Washu asks firmly. Yamcha is still in a partial state of shock at learning part of him is no longer internal but external, his fear is showing clearly as he looks at the thing floating in the jar. Small and vermiform is the cylindrical lump of flesh, its colour paler than it should be due to the preservative liquid it is pickled in. As the woman above him gently shakes the jar and its contents bob about, Yamcha's terror dies down to frustration at her thinking she can do whatever she wants to him.

"Did you take that out of me? What the hell Washu! You could have atleast asked me first, I should be able to go to sleep and not have to worry about missing some of my vital organs when I wake up." His lover ignores his entirely justified complaints and continues pressing her question about his anatomy.

"Tell me, what is this?"

"Why do you expect me to know, I ain't a doctor or anything."

"Come on, you must have a basic understanding of the contents of your own insides. I'll make it easier for you then, look it came from there and was attached to the larger portion of your intestinal tract." She is getting more and more annoyed at his inability to answer as she prods sharply at a fresh scar on the right hand side of his abdomen, disrupting the stitches holding his flesh in place minutely. The look of horror arises again on Yamcha's face again as he sees the new wound on his lower stomach. He lets out a loud groan and sighs, giving her an answer seems to be his only option of escape.

" … Well, if I had to take a wild stab in the dark, I'm gonna go with saying that it's … was my appendix." Yamcha nods his head, that guess sounds round about right to him looking at the shape of the organ and where it should be in his body. Washu's bright green eyes glance over the thing in the jar she holds, she hasn't heard of such an organ before. Enticed by the thought of finding out something new to her, she sets down the jar on Yamcha's abdominals and eagerly looks at him.

"An appendix you say, what does it do then? What're its functions and its purpose?" The wolf warrior can see the hunger deep in her eyes, her insatiable thirst for knowledge about to be quenched by his reply. That is if he can remember what an appendix does actually do. Now that he thinks on it he is not sure he has the faintest clue to do with anything remotely about it, this could prove problematic. Racking his brain for a good few minutes, he eventually just gives a half-arsed answer.

"Umm, randomly gets infected and kills people." He knew when that sentence was half way out of his mouth how it was going to end up so he can't say he is surprised when she takes the jar back off of his stomach and frowns at him. She didn't like that answer, she thinks he is purposefully trying to hinder her efforts to further what she knows. Washu finds his lack of cooperation annoying.

"I won't let you go until you tell me." She quietly says this, a small hint of menace arising in her tone. He lets out a low growl, his irritation at his predicament has been growing with each second entombed in a metal he can't properly perceive.

"How is that fair? Why would I know what it's supposed to do, all I know is it sure as hell won't do it now it's outside my body! Let me go now Washu!" She steps back away from the slab, this is the first time he has ever risen his voice against her out of anger. He is just making it harder for himself though, Washu is not someone to be easily pushed around or intimidated.

"Fine then, be that way. Until you start cooperating and behaving yourself don't expect to be released or to get this back." She rattles the jar above her head as she turns around and walks off, beginning to disappear into the perpetual murk. Just the tip of her pink ponytail can still be seen by Yamcha when he calls out to her again.

"Washu, stop! Come back … d-darling. Hey I was just messing around, didn't mean to offend you or ought. I'm sorry I shouted at you, just let me go. If I could tell you about my appendix I would but you know me well enough by now to see I'm telling the truth that I can't." Her hair disappears into the blackness, that was his last chance and it failed miserably. Or so he thought. Well oiled gears grind against each other as the table he is on rotates around so he is now in a vertical position and able to see Washu stood in front of him. Her arms are folded across her chest … her small chest. A sudden realisation hits Yamcha, he knows why she is acting like this now. " You aren't still mad about last night are you, … light of my life."

"I don't know, am I ?" He remembers it all now. Basically it all comes down to her staying in her adolescent form. Yamcha tried to persuade her to turn back to her adult form but he might have said a few things that might be taken wrong if out of context and Washu has not forgiven him for it. His acute reluctance to look at her, or even be near her, left her disgruntled. Never mind that was before he said those things to her, things such as how she was much smaller –in every sense of the word – and how he doesn't particularly like her that way compared to her other form. Back to the present and he is struggling to think of any response ( there is no right or correct answer whenever asked that question by an angry woman).

"I'm sorry Washu. I really, truly am. … But, … it doesn't change the fact that you're technically a child right now."

"So you only like me for my body, is that what you're trying to say?" He tries to meet her eyes but he cannot hold her penetrating gaze for more than a second, she is looking mightily pissed at him. Everything he possibly says or does will be turned against him. Arguing against a woman is a futile task, arguing against someone who is as smart as she is turns into just wasted breath and effort.

"No, no, no it's not like that just … it's plain wrong to be attracted to someone your age." Yamcha tries to skirt around the elephant in the room in the least offensive way possible, Washu is making his job that much more difficult for him though.

" Humph! You said you didn't care I was 20,000 years old! I thought you were different Yamcha but you're just like the rest. You only liked me for two reasons and now when they're not as big you couldn't care less about me."

"Washu, that's not what I meant. Just listen to what I'm trying to tell ya. I still like you, I like you a lot, but I have principles and when you have the body of a young girl that's a boundary I won't cross."

"I've got some tests to run on this 'appendix'. I'll be back later." She turns his back on him and storms off, taking the jar with his appendix in it with her. He hangs his head and lets his mane of hair fall down in front of his face as he exhales loudly, the buzzing and humming computers and machinery the only things to hear him.

Vegeta stands in the training room. For over ten hours he has been in there nonstop with the artificial gravity on at 2,000 Gs and it has taken its toll on him and on the room. All the weights have warped or snapped due to the extreme environment, most of the other exercise equipment has also broken or had its shape altered and distorted by gravity so it is no longer useable. Even the flooring has begun to crack under the enhanced weight of the Saiyan prince thudding about. The room and everything inside of it was not built to withstand anything above 1,000 Gs and so Washu's improvements have pushed it past what it was designed to handle.

It is not enough though, it never will be enough for Vegeta; he could spend all 24 hours of each and every day training and it would still not come close to sating his need for more power. He has even missed the call for breakfast, which he rarely ever does, ignoring Sasami as she knocked on the door to the training room to alert him to the fact that food is ready. His body needs a break, just one small rest and a chance to recuperate after so long of pushing himself past his known limits. There is only one last thing left for him to do in this room to help improve himself. Scratching the rough five o'clock shadow that has grown on his jaw and trying to rub away the sleep and fatigue from his eyes, he goes towards the main console to activate whatever simulation he hasn't tried yet. His meaty finger goes down to press one of the many buttons on the keypad when the high humidity of the room caused by his own perspiration evaporating tickles the back of his throat. He coughs. His finger and whole hand plummet straight through the console. Vegeta does not look impressed at all as his body once again takes on its natural weight and any chance he has of training has now deteriorated significantly. Angrily snarling in irritation at his misfortune, he stomps one of his booted feet on the floor, demolishing one of the near indestructible tiles into atoms. The room is useless to him now, the main console is broken beyond repair so with a waft of his hand he disintegrates it into ashes.

No one else but Sasami is in the kitchen as he enters, all the others having obviously already eaten well over an hour ago. Silently sitting down, he engulfs the now cold plates of food considerately left out for him. He stands up from the table feeling a lot better now and exchanges thanks and some minor pleasantries with Sasami for her cooking as he leaves the kitchen and his house. Vegeta positions himself right by the edge of the lake and raises his left arm casually. As his arm outstretches so too does the water from the lake begin to take to the air, in an effortless use of his telekinetic abilities he lifts all the water from the lake a clear 20 feet above his head. Dropping his left arm he immediately begins to rise his right for as soon as the water begins to drop blasts erupt from his fingertips and purge all the fish from the lake with deadly accuracy. When the water finally impacts back into its rightful place with an almighty splash he proceeds to dodge all the water droplets spewing forth. Nothing offers up a challenge to him anymore. His body requires him to be active but there is no activity worthy of his time.

Walking back to his house with short strides, he stops before entering. He senses two disturbances of ki. Vegeta leans back against the doorframe and slides down so he is sat upon the long, uncut grass, he knows what is coming so he might as well face it in comfort. Closing his heavy eyelids he awaits patiently for them to come to him. Rest, it's what he needs but what he will not allow himself to indulge in more than is barely necessary for him to continue functioning. With his head propped up by the wooden wall behind him, he hears two sets of footsteps approaching him, the door opening and closing and then something unexpected occurs. He feels a slight weight on his chest.

"Meow. Meow, meow mew." Opening one eye and then the other he discovers it is none other than the cabbit Ryo-ohki merrily perched upon him. He looks down at the small animal, its wet, whiskery nose nearly touching his, and gently scratches it behind its massive ears. If only pleasing the rest of the people staying in his house were as simple as this. Ryo-ohki leaps off of him as he stands back up to face the Juraian princess and the space pirate. Ryoko is dressed in the same outfit she wore when she first met and attacked him, she smiles warmly at him, reminiscing over yesterday's magical occurrence. Princess Ayeka though is not smiling, a faint trace of forlorn self pity about her. She has tried to disguise her now lopsided head of hair in a simple side braid but his eyes can still make out the charred ends amongst the sea of purple.

He says good morning to them and they reply to the same effect. His Saiyan eyes pick up that they most probably want some answers, or to talk to him, concerning his actions yesterday, but there is something he feels he must do first and he knows Ryoko will not like it.

"Come." He takes one of Ayeka's hands in his own and begins to briskly walk off back into his abode. Vegeta doesn't bother to look at the princess' blushing face or Ryoko's great scowl as they both follow him, one because she has no choice in the matter and the other as she wants to know what the hell the Saiyan is doing. Before he even takes two steps into his own front room he is being bombarded by questions by both women, most originating from Ryoko though. Stopping in front of the door to the former storage cupboard under the stairs he tells Ryoko to stay there for the minute and to not follow him inside. With that he turns the doorknob and enters, taking Ayeka with him. As the door slams shut behind the two, Ryoko hovers in the air, quite annoyed at being left in the dark about what Vegeta is doing in there with her of all people. For now she will do what he says, but if he spends any length of time in there alone with Ayeka she will not wait idly by.

Vegeta wastes no time within Washu's lab, as soon as he enters and sees that she is not in sight he, and the still confused Ayeka, vanish. In a gloomy room they reappear, a large, black monolith before them and an unfortunate soul still stuck to it – Ayeka having got moderately accustomed to this form of transportation hardly has any adverse reaction to it at all. Yamcha would wave at them but for the time being he'll just stick to saying hi. The modest princess averts her eyes from the poor sod abandoned in just his underwear whilst still wondering what thoughts are going through Vegeta's mind and feeling quite pleased that it is her, and not Ryoko, he has seemingly chosen to accompany him. Two small bright flashes of light later and Yamcha can now freely move the whole top half of his body, another two and he hops down from the slab. He then proceeds to stifle a short scream of pain as he clutches at the small of his back.

"Thanks Vegeta. Not as young and spry as I once was." Grimacing through the major discomfort, he straightens himself up to his full height and clicks his vertebrae back into their natural positioning. Sighing in relief, he goes to the small table where his clothes are and begins to get dressed. "So what brings you here Vegeta? Looking for some alone time with the princess are ya?" The Juraian princess' cheeks redden at the insinuated possibility as she watches Vegeta stiffen and try to stop himself from striking the human after such an insolent remark.

"I'm looking for Washu you fool. For some reason most of this strange place is now giving off ki readings and with her being so weak I cannot differentiate her from this incessant background noise. Tell me now or I'll find a way to put you back where I found you." Vegeta barks at Yamcha, his need to find the woman with which this man has become romantically involved with is urgent. Yamcha finishes putting on his clothes and kneels down in the debris of his restraints, fishing around for something in particular.

"If you want an answer to why this place is messing with your senses it's partly due to me … and to that." He tosses across a small, pink gem with a tail of circuitry and wires attached to the spherical device. Vegeta picks it out of the air and needs but a short glance at the thing to recognise what it is, his hand closes and crushes the energy absorption gem.

"Damn it all, she's been reading up on the few things that can actually harm us. Not like it's any true threat but still she's a dangerous enough woman as it is. You know the layout of this place, where is she most likely to be hiding?"

"I need to find her too. She took out one of my organs when I was conked out. Can you believe that, my appendix of all things." The Saiyan prince raises his eyebrows at this but otherwise ignores that statement. Disinterested about Yamcha's predicament, he once again tries to focus and pinpoint where Washu precisely is within her labyrinthine warren. Bingo. Not exactly what he was after but if she is now using ki to power her machines then the area with the ki lowering must be where she currently is. Ayeka is still looking about perplexed as he closes his eyes and instant transmissions them away from the desert bandit.

"Woman, you are needed." Gruff tones resonate from less than six inches behind the miniscule scientist, Washu gets badly startled by this sudden, unexpected sound from immediately behind her person. Jumping out of fright, her hands lose their grip on the tray of test tubes she was carrying and they smash to pieces on the tiles, spilling their noxious and viscous contents on her perfectly clean floor. One small dot of the chemical splashes onto Washu's left shoe and straight away a smell of burning can be smelt and the sound of fizzling can be heard.

"BAH! Don't do that! If I am needed it is helpful if you don't try scaring me half to death first." The pink haired scientist kicks off her quickly dissolving shoe to stop the hazardous acid getting onto her white socks, or worse her foot, and quickly turns around to face the duo. Her razor sharp eyes flash towards the person the Saiyan has brought with him, she did not predict him coming in here with company. Only now does Vegeta let go of Ayeka's fragile hand and crosses his arms across his barrel chest.

"Fine, have it your way Saiyan. What is so important that you have to come and ask for my help ? You need some pointers on what Juraians really like ?" She screams. Just for an instant she saw a clenched fist hurtling towards the bridge of her nose. Cowering with her eyes closed, she recoils in pain as he flicks the tip of her petite nose hard – hard for her but to him that was as light an attack as he could ever do. Rubbing her sore nose she apologises for what she said.

"My training room is broken. The higher gravitational fields it could create due to your improvements have caused it to destroy itself, I demand you repair it at once."

"What's in it for me?" Her annoyance at Vegeta gets the better of her as Washu pushes her luck. His eyes narrow their harrowing gaze on Washu, the temptation to blast off one of her limbs is rising within him. The wise words of his dead wife echo through his head, reminding him that violence is not always the answer or solution to every problem, thoughts he occasionally embraces against his better judgement. Actual violence he is not going to do but threatening her life is something he will feel no guilt whatsoever over. Unfurling one of his crossed arms, a small sun spawns in the palm of his hand.

"For starters your life, beyond that your home, wellbeing, this lab and anything else I could take from you whenever I choose. Just get the job done and be quick about it." Washu offhandedly agrees, knowing she has no choice if she values living, and summons her phantom laptop to rapidly type something down. Having written down a full conclusion to her experiment that abysmally failed thanks to her test material being dropped on the floor she turns her attention back to the one man she cannot gain dominance over. Vegeta's gloved hand points towards the young woman stood behind him, bringing the princess' attention back to the conversation he and Washu are having. Not being personally involved within their dialogue, Ayeka couldn't help but look around in amazement at this arabesque style room, bizarre yet fantastic whilst incomprehensible in its geometry. Only a few times did Ayeka ever venture forth into Washu's personal laboratory before Earth and those times she did not have need to move more than a few metres from the entranceway wish she was thankful for.

"Washu, there is also a favour I will ask of you. During her duel with Ryoko yesterday Lady Ayeka sustained some … painful injuries that have left her with scars she would rather be without. Sort them out for her." The same bright and happy smile that had been missing from Ayeka when she greeted him this morning has returned to her. He knew the cause of her depression to be the disfigurement of her body. Vanity alone not being the sole perpetrator but the way she has been marked like cattle, the shameful, mocking memo of debasing herself when she was forced under pain and agony to submit to Ryoko. Her royal pride was the thing that suffered the largest wound and that is something he understands perfectly.

"I'd have to anyway Saiyan, even if you weren't here. Being under the employment of the Juraian royal family, which Miss Ayeka belongs to, makes me contractually obliged to do what she asks of me. I take it I'll have to regrow her cut hair as well, simple work like this won't take me very long. If you'll step this way princess it'll all be done in a jiffy." Ayeka takes a step forward towards the scientist gesturing off to a side room. With a click of her fingers, Washu's floating cushion materialises in the air. She takes a seat on it as it slowly glides through the air towards the room she previously indicated at. Ayeka stops and leaves the scientist to continue on her way.

"I thank you Lord Vegeta. This means a lot to me, I – I don't think I could ever live with those things marring me. You don't trust Washu but I have known her most of my life, I will be safe in her capable hands … . Though, could you wait for me? I don't know the way out and would hate to get lost in this weird place by myself." He simply nods in response. It is good to see her back to her merry self and pleasantly smiling, one less thing to distract him from training when the time comes that he can again.

"Umm … Vegeta?" A rather anxious look has grown in her eyes as she stares at the floor, fiddling with her hands and biting her lower lip. " I was wondering … about w-what you did … what you did yesterday, when you a-a-and I - " Vegeta cuts her off by raising the same hand he used to threaten Washu with, no aggression in his motions this time. His slow and calm movement stops the already hesitant lady. Normally when people interrupt like that it is because they themselves want to have their say so she waits to hear his answer, the answer to the thing that has been troubling her mind since that fateful sunrise on that faraway windy plateau. His hand lowers as he takes a deep breath. She holds her breath, waiting in anticipation.

"Lady Ayeka, a lot happened yesterday. You are in this very room because of those events, but for he time being go and get patched up. I promise I will explain later, you have my word. When this is over and we are outside of this hellhole then we shall talk as Ryoko will also want to hear it." He has said his piece, he will say nothing more on the matter. Ayeka looks at him and into those unreadable eyes of his, she will have to hold on just a tad longer before her uncertainties and doubts are cleared. Slowly, she nods her head and turns and walks off to where Washu is hovering in her chair. The prince goes his own way, passing the time by exploring the laboratory and mapping out this ever-changing realm in his mind.

Washu dismounts from her seat as they enter this cramped room, a large proportion of it taken up by various apparatus and electronics. A vat containing a murky, reddish liquid, screens and monitors decorating the walls in the place of wallpaper, row upon row of computer banks and servers fitting snugly in-between the more obscure pieces of equipment that no one but Washu could identify. The princess stands in the doorway, half out of not wanting to get in the way of the scurrying scientist and half out of unease and uncertainty at what she might be doing. Scampering about to find where she last placed what she currently needs, Washu slams her elbow into a large red button on the wall. Neon writing illuminates the room, the virtual labels hanging in the air before their corresponding device.

"So Ayeka, is it just the scars and hair you want done? Give me your finger." Having found what she was searching for, Washu pricks the tip of Ayeka's held out index finger with the needle attachment to whatever she is holding. The insides of the handheld gizmo begin to whizz as it ejects a small memory card from the side.

"Washu, what do you mean by 'just' the scars and my hair? I'm not going to let you run those experiments of yours on my royal body."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing Ayeka." Washu honestly wouldn't, not with her being conscious and Vegeta in the nearby vicinity. " As a number one genius I thought maybe a bit of _upgrading _to your _hardware_ might be something you so desire." She inserts the memory chip into the side of the machine connected to the vat, after a series of bleeps and bloops from the control panel the mixture within starts to froth and churn. Generating biologically identical skin graft cultures from scratch takes a few minutes so as the machine carries on its business they carry on with their conversation. The princess frowns at this unusual line of inquiry.

"What by the powers of Jurai are you talking about Washu? What has computer hardware got to do with me?" Washu sighs at the still so innocent mind of the princess being unable to grasp at what she was referring to. She drums her fingers on the top of the vat as she watches the green progress bar inch its way forwards towards its goal. A watched pot never boils and so too does cloning not speed up when under observation, she turns to face Ayeka again and with a sly grin relays what she really meant.

"I was referring your physical being. I can perform miracles here, enhancing your beauty so a certain someone notices you more is a piece of cake for me. How 'bout it?" The millennia old woman in a child's body innocently smiles up at the regal lady. Washu already has a very good idea at what the Juraian's response will be, this should go against those mannerisms and codes of conduct taught to her back on her home planet. Such an uptight personality for someone who is still so much in her youth and should be enjoying it to the fullest instead of worrying about her impeccable behaviour and the way in which everyone views her. But what would Washu know about the ins and outs of life as royalty, a life of responsibility like that is one she would not want to have. Unhindered by petty titles and ranks in a hierarchical system she could not care less about she is free to pursue what she wants and embark on new scientific endeavours whenever she pleases. Freedom but for one string attaching her to those responsibilities she so dreads: her boyfriend Yamcha.

"Miss Washu are you implying that I need this upgrading to my already perfect body?" Right on cue the princess seems mightily annoyed at Washu, taking it as a profound and personal insult that such a thing should ever be offered to her. Washu's smile enlarges.

"Ain't saying you need it but a little extra help wouldn't do any harm would it. Those unfortunates with Y chromosomes always seem a lot more attracted to those with mammary glands of the larger persuasion so I could always aid your development - "

"NO! How dare you suggest that the crown princess of Jurai should have to rely on such base measures of allure to win the heart of Lord V – … someone."

"Someone, eh? Nearly got you to say it, didn't I? Anyway, on with the work. So where are these scars then?" With Ayeka now trying to back out of what she nearly blurted out, Washu would follow through with a quick riposte had the skin grafts not just been completed. A woman's work is never done. Rattling her fingers across the keyboard, Washu initiates the ending sequence for the hi-tech machine. A flushing sound comes from the reddish tank as it evacuates its biochemical mixture into the extensive plumbing for bio hazardous materials. Emerging from a thin but wide slot at the base of the tank is a thin A3 sized sheet. A sheet of Juraian skin, fully complete with enzymes ready to bond it to the patient. Ayeka looks at the skin Washu is holding and turns around, with one dainty finger she hesitantly points to her back.

"Umm, they are on my back Washu … . Just the general area is all I know, I d-didn't look too much at those horrid things. … Will it hurt Miss Washu?" Anxiously, Ayeka looks over her shoulder at the pink haired genius. The scientist's analytical mind measures a rough estimate of how much of the created tissue will need to be used.

"If it does then something's gone horribly wrong. Don't worry about it, applying this isn't exactly brain surgery … I could do some of that if -"

"Miss Washu, can we just get this over with. I wouldn't want to keep Lord Vegeta waiting for too long … especially in your lab where so many things are prone to breaking." Washu will have to give her that, she does have a valid point; having a destroyer of worlds just aimlessly wandering around her laboratory is something she would rather do without.

"Yes, well … ain't no time like the present. Now it would speed matters along your highness if I could actually see or get to the area I have to work with. There are some spare surgical gowns if you feel uncomfortable over there in that cupboard, but be careful not to touch the ion thrusters … they're a wee bit volatile." Weakly smiling at Washu, Ayeka moves off to change her clothes. Tapping her feet, the pink haired girl ponders over which method would be most fun to use to regrow the severed hair.

Far off shouts echo through the winding passageway Vegeta finds himself at: the shouts of an aggravated man demanding he has what was taken from him returned to him at once and a young girl refusing point blank to surrender her new plaything. He has had enough of this place. The very air feeling unnatural and synthesised, feeding his want to escape. More words from a distant argument reach him yet none from the woman he is waiting for, that must mean she is done with the operation and also helplessly lost inside this directionless realm – that or Washu has anesthetised her, gagged her or … well the list really does go on. Placing two digits against his forehead, his sixth sense worms its way back over the way he came and towards a ki level higher than that being output by the machines but lower than that of Yamcha himself. This far reaching ability indicates to him that she has not moved far from where his ears sense the commotion is starting to really kick off. Vegeta grumbles to himself over allowing Washu to stay here, and alive, as he instant transmissions.

Dark shadows loom all around, towering monstrosities and idols to the devious owner of this lair with malevolent lighting flickering sporadically along their entire length. Monoliths of science and technology towering high and lofty above the lone princess wandering lost, searching for the way out back to reality and natural light. She only walked around the corner from where Washu fixed her up yet even backtracking and tracing her steps to that same doorway there is no sign of anyone or any recognisable landmark. It is as if the rooms themselves shift about like the sands of the desert, every time that you return to the same place it has altered beyond recognition. Doorways leading to corridors leading to hallways leading to halls leading to a way with no exits and back to a room she feels she has been in already. Nerves start to crack under fear, the fear of forever being lost in an inescapable world of mist and shades, Ayeka's eyes dart about in vain to pick out any small hint or clue as to the location of that single dimensional portal where her sister waits on the other side. Her small hands go to her purple hair. Running her fingers through the newly restored locks intermingling with the old does little to quell her growing apprehension, her hands keep messing with her hair though anyway. A hand not of her own lunges out from behind the hanging fossilised remains of some leviathan of an alien ocean.

" Lady Ayeka it looks as if you do require my assistance like you said." Before she recognises the face or the voice she is whisked away in the blink of an eye. In Washu's laboratory one minute and out of it the next. Stumbling as she tries to get her bearings and find her sense of balance again, the princess stumbles and her arms instinctively latch onto the nearest solid object for support. In anyone's definition he is most definitely solid. Their eyes meet as Vegeta looks at the woman grabbing onto him and starting to turn a light shade of red around her cheeks. Unfortunately, this accidental hugging does not go unnoticed by the woman who has been sat floating in the air awaiting the Saiyan prince to tell her what he has been up to, by the looks of things it isn't anything she approves of in the slightest bit.

"I knew it! You were playing little miss hurt and depressed as a ruse to get my Vegeta to take pity on you so you could try and worm your rotten, stinky claws into him." Ryoko hovers back down to the ground as she stands before the two with a vein popping on her forehead from the aggravation of such a sight. The space pirate believes herself to be played for a fool by the conniving royal. Her hands dart out to try and separate the lady looking about confused but still holding onto Vegeta. Caught in the act, as it were, Ayeka is struggling to think of a defence against what Ryoko has said and is in two minds about whether to let go of prince Vegeta or to retain her grip out of spite. Vegeta decides for them. With one arm he blocks Ryoko's scything swipes with her nailed hands and the other he gently nudges Ayeka off of his person.

"Ryoko that sounds an awful lot more like something you would try and pull. You simply misunderstand the situation." His arm moves slightly, conceding a fraction of a millimetre to the pressure exerted by Ryoko. "If you think of me as someone who would be so easily fooled by tricks like that then you don't know me very well." Both women see the faintest of jitters in his arms but ignore it.

"Well? What have you been doing in there that I wasn't allowed to see, sounds fishy to me." She has a right to be suspicious of them after the way they appeared seemingly entwined with one another after he hurried off to be alone with her. Ryoko's stern gaze dances from between the prince and princess, if someone doesn't give her an answer right now chaos is going to erupt. Ayeka though is not too keen on the tone of voice that this space pirate is taking with her; having had Washu teasing her and trying to provoke her as she was doing what was asked of her has left the Juraian with little want for being talked to in this manner.

"Now look here Ryoko, I don't care much for what you are accusing me of so stop it right now. What happened in Washu's lab is private and none of your business, so butt your warty witch's nose out of it you old harpy."

"What did you just say! Apparently one beating within an inch of your life wasn't good enough and you want some more, I'll be happy to give you what you Juraians all deserve. C'mon, bring it!" Ryoko bares her teeth as she snarls and raises a fist to the princess. Vegeta thinks to himself that he seriously needs to find a way to stop these two women working each other up or at least something so they pose no serious threat to the other's life. Ayeka is standing her ground against Ryoko, despite what happened yesterday she will not let Ryoko have her nefarious way and just walk on over her. Feet land and perch themselves on Vegeta's outstretched arm.

"You may have bested me once but I will not allow that to happen again you hear me. If you choose to start a fight with the crown princess of Jurai you best be prepared for the consequences." The princess allows herself to take one step back away now that Ryoko has the high ground, whilst the person supporting someone on his arm simply waits for the whole thing to either blow over or escalate to the point he has to stop it. Readying herself for what is to come, Ayeka brushes her loose hair behind her shoulders. Having only just got her head of hair back to the way she prefers it she has not had any time to tie it back in her usual long ponytails. Feline eyes watch this motion as she observes her prey from her vantage point.

"… So, … your hair?" Ryoko has noticed, she starts to smile. "… Washu was patching you up in there, wasn't she? I did such a number on you that you had to go and get extra help after that bean thing, hahaha. Oh, does this mean you didn't want my autograph Ayeka? Hmmm? … Vegeta? What's the matter?" Her jeering comes to a stop when she feels a slight wobbling originating from the arm she is stood on, she has seen many times his strength so she assumed holding her weight on his arm should be no problem to him. He moves his arm slightly, indicating for her to dismount him, and brings his arms back down to his sides as he sees the two women looking at him not each other.

"Nothing. Nothing's the matter. I'm just … a bit weary, that's all." He was weary before the events of yesterday, after 48 hours without sleep he is thoroughly exhausted and his strength when not powered up is faltering marginally.

"Lord Vegeta haven't you slept since … s-since - "

"No, not since the eternal sleep I was in. I need to make up for lost time, I cannot afford to indulge in such silly things as sleep." Not since Goku could ascend to super Saiyan and he couldn't has he striven this hard to train. His inner drive refuelled after the solace of death is pushing him ever onwards, as well as one extremely crucial piece of information.

"Is this why you didn't accept my nice, kind offer last night, if you wanted a real workout I can give you one." Ryoko is quick on the scene, teleporting by his side and putting her arms around Vegeta this time. Seemingly always with those carnal thoughts on her mind, she curiously puts her cheek against his to feel the rough as sandpaper stubble scratch her skin.

"You know the answer to that Ryoko." He steps out of her embrace and towards the training room, stopping before the door with his hands resting on its cold, metal frame. " I have to train. I cannot let him do this to me again!" A fist dents the metal, caving the whole door into a concave mess of warped scrap. Just thinking about such a thing happening all over again to him has put him in an extremely foul and dangerous mood. For so long he has worked to get out from under the shadow cast down by a certain somebody and to him it looks as though he is back to square one. Rage doesn't help matters, he has lost a few battles down to losing his cool like this, yet every fibre in his being burns with wrath towards this person. The women wait for him to take a few deep breaths and alleviate himself of this sudden burst of anger before questioning what brought on this outburst. There is but one word, one name, he needs to utter for it all to become clear. A name that is painful for him to say, that sticks in his throat and refuses to come out.

"Kakarot."

" H-he has done it. After that last battle that defeated both of us, and with this extra month, he has thrown away all of my efforts." The door slowly atomises before him, white hot molecules falling into a charred heap at his feet. Washu was going to fix the training room anyway so he has merely added one small additional thing to her to-do list. Having to constantly live as second best has haunted him for too long, he will not yield his rightful place, his destiny, of being the strongest Saiyan. He needs to train but cannot, there is nowhere on this planet now where he can hone his skills and body, so he stays to fully answer the women's questions. "Kakarot was defeated and lived to tell the tale, I, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. This simple fact has allowed him to harness the Saiyan race's secret weapon. The Saiyan power of Zenkai. It is our most important tool. It alone is the reason we were … are still feared. 'When you defeat a Saiyan be sure to cut off his head lest you want yours to roll', that is what they said of us and it is true. Whenever a Saiyan experiences near death and is able to successfully recover from it their power will skyrocket to all new reaches, allowing them to take down whatever was first able to harm them. This was how we overcame Frieza and had the necessary power for every opponent since then. But … he survived and I did not. … He got Zenkai and I did not. I –I have been surpassed by him yet again!"

Vegeta hangs his head as he admits to his failure. Shame has befallen his shoulders again. His empty stare barely sees the room with which he has spent so much of his life within, so many of his waking hours spent in solitude training rather than savouring what little time he had with his wife. Without the training room working his physical condition will deteriorate slightly, just to rub salt on his wounded pride. The doorway begins to offer up a creaking noise from his amplified weight (he might not be under artificial gravity conditions but he does not go anywhere without wearing some form of weighted clothing). Standing back up and taking his weight off of the side of his house before it gives in, his ki sensing abilities detect that his son is still fast asleep, he did not bring him up to be a lazy stop-in bed. He faces now the boredom that these women have to deal with most days, only with no training possible does he realise how little there is to do out in his wilderness retreat.

"Are you sure? I couldn't sense any difference between you two when you secretly powered up." Vegeta turns to face the one who is speaking to him, Ryoko has changed positions and is now sat down on the sofa with her legs kicked up on the table. He forgot that she would be able to notice ki surges and spikes. That single handshake has kept him awake for two days. The calm confidence of his rival after his humbling defeat only serves to show Goku also knows that Vegeta is no longer capable of exacting his long sought revenge.

"When an insect looks up at mountains it cannot tell which be the largest, but when stood on top of the adjacent peak and looking across it is all to plain for me to see." He means little offense calling her an insect but truthfully that is the only apt comparison he can think of. His eyes move past Ryoko and to the sunny outside world experiencing a marvellous late summer's day.

"Lord Vegeta, I realise how important this is for you but it appears it is out of your hands, at least for the time being. I am sure the more important thing is to be well rested. Just a quick nap and I'm sure you'll feel right as rain. Not meaning to be rude, but can you expect to beat him if you are struggling to stay awake?" Vegeta acknowledges Ayeka's care for his health but he does not need to be reminded of his mortality. His whole line of work revolves around putting his life on the line and balancing on the razor's edge. Bulma always worried about him whenever he went for these extended training periods but what these women ask of him, to quit and surrender, is something his pride will not allow him to ever do.

" I slept for long enough. The only way I can ever hope of gaining on his ludicrous natural talent and abilities is to spend more time training and less on things that will not help me achieve my life's goal."

"Lord Vegeta your body still has needs. Try as you might to persuade yourself but you still require to sleep. Please, I implore you to see sense and stop this madness for my sake."

"Madness? No, Lady Ayeka this is the only path that gives me a glimmer of hope of annihilating that filthy wretch! You may want me to decease but if there is no risk then there will be no reward. I will train … and then I will finally kill him." Vegeta faces her as he says these words to her. No anger or hate expressed when he speaks, just the cold demeanour of a sociopath. A shiver runs down her spine as she listens to his declaration of murder. The man he wishes to put down is an incredibly nice and polite gentleman in Ayeka's eyes and killing such a pleasant person would be a terrible and awful thing indeed. She understands why the prince detests Goku so much, she herself has someone she is not particularly fond of, but she cannot condone cold blooded murder or the attempt at it. She voices her opinion on the matter and the Saiyan listens to what she has to say, albeit whilst his mind drifts off to plan the perfect way in which he will slay the only other of his race. He does not get persuaded by her words, he states again that he will end Goku's life and will train so that he can.

"If you want training Vegeta then we could spar. I know it might not be much but it's something, right? Not too rough though or you might injure me, the delicate flower that I am." Breaking the ice that had formed from Vegeta's statement, Ryoko sees whether she can help Vegeta out of his little not being able to train predicament. Vegeta doesn't get a word in though before someone else takes it upon themselves to correct what Ryoko has said to something she thinks is a lot more applicable.

" Flower? No Ryoko, I believe what you meant to say was poisonous ivy that destroys every poor thing it latches onto. Yes, ivy suits you a lot better than flower. I, on the other hand, -"

"Ladies, what I need now is some peace and quiet. Not you two bickering, so save your insults. Though thoughtful, your offer is of no benefit to me Ryoko. Unless any of you know how to image train then I shall be meditating outside." With that Vegeta's form disappears and reappears on the opposite side of the glass. He sits down and crosses his legs as he tries to do something productive.

"There he goes again." Ryoko sighs as she peers out the window to the never resting prince. If only he would just stand still for a minute and stop with his relentless training then she could finally get somewhere. The way he behaves that kiss seems more like a faint dream than something that will occur again. Although his inability to relax is not the only problem facing her. "Why don't you just go and scoot along back to Jurai princess, he's making this tough as it is without you making my job harder." Without Ayeka in the picture her job at seducing Vegeta would definitely become less complicated, as they say too many cooks spoil the soup. Asking won't do anything she knows but aggravating the princess has become a favourite little hobby of hers lately.

"Of course it's tough for some petty criminal like you, what would you know about matters like this at all … probably as much as you do about making yourself look presentable and personal hygiene." Being raised as a diplomat, her quick wit is making Ayeka a lot better at these conversations she has with Ryoko.

"Now, now princess, don't go making a scene and misbehave. You heard the man, he wants some peace and quiet and my, you are not being very mindful about his wants." Ayeka frowns, puzzled by the space pirate not replying with something offensive or another petty taunt . It is not like Ryoko to just stop and change the subject like that and Ayeka is suspicious of what she is trying to do, and rightfully so. "You should just admit it now. You haven't the foggiest how to fulfil a man's wants, do you?" Ayeka now sees what Ryoko's ruse was all in aid of, to embarrass her. It has done its job effectively, at the mere mention of this Ayeka starts blushing . Ryoko grins as she sits up straight. "Thought not. Vegeta is way too much man for a small girl like you to handle. Leave him to someone who knows what they're doing. At least you have someone to fall back on and can always marry that brother of yours. See ya."

Infuriated, Ayeka is about to stop Ryoko right there and give her a piece of her mind as the space pirate stands with a cheeky smile on her face. With a slight whoosh, Ryoko teleports off somewhere before she can get her comeuppance, leaving a miffed off princess standing there. Seeing that Ryoko hasn't darted off to go to Vegeta, Ayeka forgets about the vagabond and searches where her sister might have gone off to. Walking about the house and into the kitchen yields nothing, not even a sign of Ryo-ohki. Pulling out a chair she sits down by herself in the kitchen just resting her head in her hands; thinking, pondering. He might be a man of his word but something completely slipped Vegeta's mind, much to Ayeka's disappointment. In all the hubbub of the argument he did not talk to both her and Ryoko about what happened yesterday and what he did, she'll just have to wait till a later point to remind him of this when he isn't preoccupied – and finding a time like that is not an easy matter. Vegeta doesn't appear to be in the best of moods, grouchy and irritable from a lack of sleep in most probability, so a few minutes waiting can't do any harm.

Solitude, no disruptions or disturbances. Just him and nothing else. The perfect environment for meditation. Meditation for battle, not for enlightenment nor inner peace. He knows that there is a pair of amber eyes upon him, watching him surreptitiously from the roof of his house. As long as Ryoko is up there basking on the slates heated by the Sun's rays and not down here causing a commotion then Vegeta doesn't care. With his eyes closed, his mind slowly works its way down into a lower and deeper form of consciousness, ceasing all unnecessary motions and thoughts. His mind focuses inwards and not on his exterior being - ironically akin to his time spent in the afterlife minus the acute suffering – and slows down his breathing and heart rate to a point at which they barely seem to exist at all. Focusing his mind on nothing and everything all at once all the built up tension flows out of his aching muscles, and clear as day in his mind's eye he can 'see' the flow of ki within him and in his surroundings.

The dancing natural energies of the planet mingling with the simple animal and plant life, the more powerful ki of the star falling gently from the sky and finally his own. Each cell radiating ki brightly, dwarfing that of his surroundings, smoothly flowing about his body as he keeps track of the rivers of spiritual energy within him. Learning to control his energy is as important as building up the enormous reservoirs of it he can generate at will, always sure he is in control of his power and not the other way around. With but a thought he channels his ki about to random places of his anatomy and notes how it responds, in which places it builds the fastest and how surges of ki build-up affect his body at a cellular level. Being able to have 100% control of his energy at a subconscious level is essential, when it comes down to the harsh, gritty realities of war, instinct and gut reactions are what keep a man alive not his brain or fancy techniques.

Grass is getting crushed under foot. Someone of small size and stature who is very light on their feet approaches his position. These external stimuli picked up by his heightened sense of hearing break him out of his meditative trance which he proceeds to try and dive back down into. He cannot. His brain is too distracted by these noises getting closer in proximity to him, his warrior instincts getting the better of him when someone walks up behind him making little to no sound. Vegeta lists the possibilities of who it can be: neither Ayeka or Ryoko have feet that small ( plus Ryoko would be flying or teleporting rather than walking casually about), same goes for Yamcha, that leaves the two young females Sasami and Washu. A soft meow solves the mystery for him, as do the quiet sounds of her long robes of Juraian make and style swishing with every step. The small, little blue haired girl who has finished a nice relaxing trek around the circumference of the lake enjoying the scenery and natural wonder of Earth stands next to the perfectly still form of Vegeta, looking down at him curiously.

"Mr. Vegeta what are you doing sat on the floor? You'll get a muddy bum if you stay there." His eyes remain shut as he ignores the young princess peering over his shoulder at his face. Ryo-ohki adds her say into the one way conversation with another meow as she wriggles about to get comfortable in Sasami's hands.

"Do you think he's sleeping Ryo-ohki? I've never seen someone sleep sat upright like that. Maybe that's how Saiyan's sleep … but if it is then why does he have a bed and not a chair in his room?"

"Sasami … what is it? What do you want?" Childish inquisitiveness will not be dissuaded by simply pretending she isn't there, as long as she doesn't take up too much of his time then he will indulge her questions. His eyes snap to her smiling face. She does not appear to be intimidated by the Saiyan near her in the slightest. That tells Vegeta a lot about himself, how he now doesn't even strike absolute terror into the heart of a young girl he could kill in an instant. Problem is that Sasami knows that he would never threaten her or raise his hand against her, in her confidence about his ability to control his temper and rage she feels perfectly safe next to him.

"Oh, hi Mr. Vegeta sir. I was just wondering what you were doing sat here all on your own outside."

" I was meditating." Vegeta puts his head in his hands as he sees the blank look elicited on Sasami's face by the word meditation. Apparently it is not in the vocabulary of the average Juraian girl. His mind is back fully functioning and wide awake, there will be no more meditating for him for a good long while. Resigning himself to this he lays back on the grass and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Focusing my mind to gain a greater control over my ki, it requires absolute silence and no distractions."

"Mind if I keep you company then? No one should be on their own." She obviously did not pick up on his not so subtle hint for her to go on her way and leave him be as she sits herself down beside him. She is still sweetly smiling at him, although he appears unamused at best when Ryo-ohki leaps out of Sasami's arms and lands on his stomach. The cabbit circles around the same spot in that curious way all animals do before it curls up into a little ball of fur for a snooze.

" You have no idea what loneliness is child. I am perfectly capable of surviving on my own with no help from others … but company has come to be more preferable. Do as you will." Her smile widens at this acceptance of her company, but just because he has allowed her to stay near him does not mean he is going to be social to her. There are far too many things on his mind to concern himself with making small talk to the little Juraian princess. Not being able to train is grinding his gears and his inability to do anything to solve the matter serves only to irk him further. He thinks to himself why the training room couldn't have broken yesterday when he was away from his house and not going to use it instead of a day he wanted to devote entirely to training, training is his life and without it there is an emptiness in his life about what to do with himself.

Sasami does not mind Vegeta's silence. If she were looking for proper company and a conversation then she would have gone off in search of her sister or Trunks but she feels that it would be a nice thing for her to spend some time with Vegeta. After all, she has hardly spent any amount of time alone with the Saiyan prince who's house he is kindly letting her and her sister live in, the only time she really sees him is during meal times when he is so eager to eat her cooking and praise her for its scrumptiousness. Whilst he broods over matters Sasami would not understand, she takes this peaceful, tranquil time to just enjoy being outside. The wind whistling through the trees and stirring the high boughs, pond skaters skimming across the surface of the lake and electric blue dragonflies darting and whizzing around her, all these things Sasami finds enrichment in. The great difference between the wildlife she grew up with seeing on her home planet of Jurai and that of Earth never ceases to amaze her, even those terrifying, bipedal theropods that threatened her life.

Snoring from Ryo-ohki does little to disturb the mutual silence of the two polar opposites. Ryoko has long since stopped observing them from up high on the rooftop and is now just lazily dozing. Sasami looks across to Vegeta who is just staring up at the sky, his eyes looking as if they are challenging the heavens themselves to see if they dare take him on. There is something about the sternness of his face and jaw that evokes an emotion she would rather do without: homesickness. Ayeka is a good sister but she can never replicate a mother's warmth and tender, loving touch that this young girl is sorely missing. Vegeta's head slowly turns to face her. Those same no nonsense eyes of a stoic man she has seen many times in her life; from her father. Trying to rid herself of this longing for the sight of her parents and the grand palaces of Jurai, she asks Vegeta something that she was concerned about earlier this morning.

" Mr. Vegeta, what happened to my sister yesterday? When I woke up this morning she seemed really sad and wouldn't talk to me about it, did something bad happen to her in the city?" She is bothered by the unusual crestfallen attitude that her sister had, it worries her to see her older sister regressing back to a form of behaviour that she only saw when the man she was asking had departed the mortal coil. Vegeta's brow creases in a thoughtful frown, it would be unwise to cause unnecessary worry in the girl.

"If she hasn't said then it isn't my place to say for her … . Quite a lot did happen yesterday. Some of which I don't know whether it was the right or wrong thing to do. Lady Ayeka should be all smiles again though now, what was causing her to be sad was sorted out before I came to meditate." The anxious face on the girl disappears hearing Ayeka is no longer in a state of semi depression. He closes his eyes as his sixth sense wanders to locate who they are talking about, he will relay this news to Sasami so she can go bother someone else and let him get along with more important issues.

"Thank you then for making Ayeka happy. Here, have this." As his eyes open, Vegeta is greeted to a poppy held inches from his face. Vivid red petals around a black centre pure as the darkest fathoms of space. He hasn't seen this particular species blooming around these parts, but then again he doesn't pay that much attention to things botanic in nature.

"A … a-a flower?" She nods at him, still holding out the poppy and waiting for him to take it from him.

"Yeah, isn't it pretty? I found it over there growing between those rocks. Since you've been such a nice person you can have it." Her kind, warm smile and happy eyes nibble away at his resolve to deny this gift. A feared Saiyan warrior with a flower, the humiliation would kill him.

"No, no, no. I –I - I insist, you keep it – you found it after all. Besides, 'nice' isn't a word I'd use to describe myself. It's not even close." He sits up and shakes his head. Steadily, her hand retracts the kind offer and holds it close to her chest. She can't understand why he doesn't want such a lovely flower, the colour complements his Saiyan training gear perfectly and in her mind everyone likes flowers – she remembers even her dad seemed pleased when she gave him the chains of flowers she made for him. An annoyed meow catches her attention as the forgotten about cabbit hops aboard her lap after her sleeping spot is no longer there now Vegeta is not laying down anymore.

"Are you talking about the naughty things you did before I was born?" At this a sardonic smirk crosses his mouth, how little she truly knows about the man before her and the deeds he has done.

"If by naughty things you mean why I'm the single reason that 12 humanoid species no longer exist, then yes. If you want to give the flower to someone kind then give it to your sister, I'm positive she'd enjoy that plant more than I would ."

"Were you really that bad?" He expected, or was hoping for, a reaction with greater tinges of fear and fright than her concerned question. This girl might give his arch enemy a run for his money at being the most kind hearted person Vegeta knows. His senses detect rapid movement towards his position from the West, in a few minutes HE will be here. How risky, to voluntarily approach the lion's den when it is not in the mood for more visitors … today just keeps on getting better and better for Vegeta.

"You better believe it. Killing can be surprisingly fun and addictive when it is all you have known. Why else do you think I spent my little holiday in Hell? Not through choice, I assure you." He doesn't face her when talking, instead his eyes remain locked on the horizon where the only ki reading greater than his can be sensed. Vegeta is trying to detach himself from this conversation he cares little for and wonders why on earth Goku is seeking him out, Goku was never one to challenge him nor train with him – mainly for the fact Vegeta would never let a simple sparring match go without a few attempts on his life.

"Hell? But no one said … I-I thought you …" Vegeta's words stun Sasami, taking her aback by their blunt, implied ruthlessness. She honestly was under the impression he had been absolved of his misdemeanours and would go that wondrous place after death she has vaguely been told about. To learn instead that he spent close to a full month going through the highest forms of possible agony and torture – both 'physical' and psychological – is news to her. Her silence and shocked expression amuses Vegeta.

"You deserve this then." She reaches out with the flower and puts it in-between his crossed arms. "It must have been really bad there and all we cared about was you coming back not what happened to you when … when you weren't here. You might have been a bad boy but you're different now: a nice, kind man who deserves a small token for all you have done for us." He tears his eyes from the unseen thing approaching him to the faintest of weights nestled between his arms. Unfolding his arms he lifts the flower in front of his face, Sasami is correct about it being aesthetically pleasing but he notices something else. His gloves are completely tattered: eroded to but a few resilient strands on his palms and worn away entirely on the knuckles. As they have no use to him now he takes them off, swapping the flower over to his other hand when necessary.

"This flower is one that humans use to commemorate and remember fallen soldiers. Rather ironic that you chose this of all things." Vegeta slips the flower into the finger of one of his gloves. The nearing presence is stealing away his attention from the girl, his abrupt standing up and the flower in the glove on the floor she takes as him rejecting her gift because of what he says it symbolises.

" Oh sorry, I just thought it looked nice. I didn't mean to remind you about your death. Do you want me to find you a different flower?" She picks up the tattered glove containing the poppy, careful for it not to fall out one of the many holes, as she takes to her feet as well. Once again Ryo-ohki has no choice but to move or fall to the ground. The cabbit nimbly scales the front of Sasami's robes before hopping onto the top of her head. One bolt of lightning jumps from Vegeta and arcs into the lake, Sasami leaps back in fright from this sudden shock. The closer each Saiyan gets to the other the more they subconsciously start to raise their power levels.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll be fine without - "

"Ok then, here you go. Be sure to put it in water later on … do you have any vases in your house for it?" Her decision on keeping him company is starting to change as grass beneath his feet begins to wilt and crisp. Handing the flower back over to him probably will only lead to the bloom acting to the Saiyan's presence as all the other surrounding foliage is but Sasami has herself to think about as she takes several steps back away from him and the tingling sensation in the air. Vegeta idly spins the flower in-between his fingers, deftly unsheathing it from the glove which thuds onto the floor, as his expressionless face turns into a dark smirk. A blip has come into view.

"No, I do not. Never mind that though …we better roll out the red carpet, Kakarot is here." A breeze blows out, disturbing the water's surface as ungloved hands clench into fists. A single puff of steam escapes from his hand as the sap and moisture inside the xylem of the flower begins to boil and evaporate, the head of the poppy droops. His rival has got into a range at which his ears can pick up the sound of him flying through the air, a secondary sound accompanies this though, one which he is unfamiliar with. Sasami flicks one of her ponytails out of her face, having been blown in the way from the Saiyan's raising power, as she watches Vegeta almost entirely revert into the cold blooded murder he was for most of his life.

"G-guests are coming? Oh no, I didn't have any prior warning to start preparing more food. Now I'll have to rethink today's menu … . Will you please tell me next time you are expecting someone." Sasami tries to hide her growing apprehension with such a domestic request towards someone who's tired eyes show his increasing intent to kill. His sturdy back remains turned to her, even though she is addressing him he will not allow himself to be distracted from the bane of his existence. Maybe if his mind were rested or his training room not broken his mood would not be so ill, so foul and so unpredictably dangerous. Goku has risked a lot choosing to visit the prince of his near extinct race on this day unbeknown to him.

" I will when I expect someone Sasami, but Kakarot did not say that he wished to meet with me today, and he has brought that kid of his along. It'd be safer for you if you stood further back from me or go back in the house." Vegeta's words subliminally crescendo into a half shout. Blonde streaks uncontrollably break into his hair. Pulses of light begin to emanate and dissipate randomly as he battles with his rage, the undying anger of a life of mediocrity and having his place usurped blossoming past his mental restraints and rational reasoning.

Pap, pap, pap, pap, pap. Floating down so it is only hovering a few feet above the windswept grass is a yellow hued cloud no bigger than the man sat cross legged upon it. As a pair of Saiyan feet touch the floor after dismounting a shuddering growl breaks the silence, cracks begin to show on the earth hardened by radiated energy. Vegeta's eyes stare straight as an arrow at Goku, a stare that is met by eyes that are not flickering between their normal iris colour and angelic blue. Goten remains sat on the nimbus cloud as his father takes a few confident steps towards the man he has come to visit. Vegeta's muscles naturally tense as the warrior of a lower class gets closer to him, he makes the first move.

"Come to die have you Kakarot? Finally decided we should settle the score? If not then you better get the hell away because I will not hold myself responsible for what I might do … . Wouldn't want to deprive that son of yours of a father he has only just got to know." Light blooms in one of his hands as ki flows in rivulets through his arms and to his palms beneath clenched fingers. The temptation grows. If it were not for Sasami being well within the blast radius, as well as his house, Vegeta could not have said whether he would have not fired this fatal charge of ki. For the time being he makes no further outward signs of aggression, the ki blast mostly discharges but a small proportion seeps into the dying poppy and refuels its life essence.

"Now what way is that to greet a mate? I'm not here to pick a fight Vegeta, we both know what would happen if I did." Mantra after mantra Vegeta repeats through his head. Trying not to make an attempt on someone's life has never been so difficult for him, with Goku irking him on with his inane babbling and that blatant mockery of his own lesser strength. Somewhere in the back of his mind the whispers to kill Goku die down but the embers of rage have been already stoked by the bellows that are this other Saiyan's lungs.

"Mate? Are you under the illusion that at some time we were ever friends? At best I tolerated your existence, if you thought I saw you as anything other than a thorn in my side then that just goes to prove your own idiocy, you clown."

"I'm the closest thing you've got to a friend Vegeta. Now the reason I came here -" Before Goku can go on to explain the reason behind aggravating someone notorious for acts of violence he is interrupted from an unexpected source. The girl Sasami joins this conversation between the two most powerful beings alive.

" You don't have any friends Mr. Vegeta? I'll be your friend if you want." Both Saiyans look at the young Juraian, one greeting her in a friendly manner and the other with a semi confused look on his face. This is a predicament the Saiyan prince was not expecting. Friendship with someone younger than his own son is not something he was particularly looking for and neither does he know what to do with it. Sasami though quickly realises her unintended faux pas of intruding in their private conversation and quickly starts to apologise. "Oh, sorry Kaka – Go … .Umm sir, what should I call you?"

"It's Ok, uh Sasami? Just call me Goku, everyone else does except for the grouch over there. See Vegeta, its not hard to make friends if you put some effort in." Another low, rumbling snarl escapes from Vegeta's clenched teeth, lips curling back to reveal his set of pearly whites.

"I wouldn't mock me if I were you. You know what I might just go and do if you really start to piss me off. If you just fancied to pop round for a chat or to taunt in my face about your power then you can put your sorry arse back on that cloud and sod off to that mud hut of yours." Vegeta's voice bleeds anger as the great muscles within his arms become more and more pronounced, Goku still stands there nonplussed by this over aggressiveness. The lack of a reaction just serves to goad Vegeta on, wiping away that calm and jovial smile from his nemesis' face seems like the only thing in the world that would slightly improve Vegeta's horrid temper. Voices raise as threats are shouted at the younger Saiyan and trembles begin to oscillate the lakeside. Bulma's gradual humanisation and mellowing of the Saiyan prince from their long years of marriage is the single frayed strand of calming reason stopping the whole planet Earth becoming a warzone.

Sasami can easily see Vegeta's strong emotions towards the only other of his race but she hasn't said hello to the other who has come to this place she has come to call home over the past month. Her footsteps are muffled behind the roaring of a Saiyan trying and failing to not fall into a berserk state. Vegeta may be struggling to curb his violent tendencies but she takes the cue from the still alive flower in his grasp that he will not succumb to them, or if he does not at this minute in time. Skirting around the area she has determined to be hazardous due to Vegeta's output energy, she walks up to the yellow nimbus and bows her head at the second child of Goku. Ryo-ohki bounds across from one child to another and cuddles into Goten, waiting for and expecting to be petted.

"Hiya Goten, whatcha doing here with your dad?" A demanding cabbit nuzzles the lad's hand impatiently and begins to purr as he scratches her behind her floppy ears. Goten looks on with concern at his dad, he might believe his father to be more or less invincible but Vegeta was always the one man who could take him on. The kid is glad that none of that unbridled rage is directed towards him but if any fight were to start he would be a hindrance to his father not a help.

"Hi Sasami, well my dad thought it'd be nice if he brought me to those lessons Miss Washu is giving us so here I am. There wasn't any homework set was there?"

"No, silly. Well your friend Trunks isn't even awake yet and I haven't seen Washu today either." Goten hands Ryo-ohki back over to Sasami as he jumps the short distance down from the cloud back down to the ground. Sasami pats the small animal on the head but she is intrigued by something, she cocks her head to the side in befuddlement. "Goten, how does that yellow cloud fly?"

"Uhh … I dunno. Same way other clouds do, I guess. Or it flies like I do, I suppose." Washu's 'education' should have kicked in there but due to the fact she has never come across or had the opportunity to study this mythical nimbus cloud no subconscious knowledge could be activated by Sasami's questioning. Someone who has the answer though hears Sasami's question. Goku has had enough of the insults from Vegeta and the death threats flying at him, he sees clearly that it would be pointless to say anything to the irate prince as it would only serve to aggravate matters. However, Goku is not too sure whether answering Sasami's query and in doing so ignoring Vegeta would be a very wise move. He does it anyway.

"So Sasami, you're interested in my flying nimbus? I've had this cloud since I was a kid like you, Master Roshi gave it to me as … well he couldn't use it anymore. It took me on many amazing adventures and allowed me to get around fast before I learnt to fly myself. You want a go?" Sasami nods enthusiastically at this proposal and passes Ryo-ohki back to Goten – the small animal is not too keen on being handed about in such a flippant manner. Vegeta eventually manages to stifle his fury, closing his eyes he counts backwards from a high three digit number and exhales deeply. Coinciding with his decreasing rage, his power level drops back down to its base level – actually it stays slightly higher so that it is greater than Goku's but he doesn't need anyone to know that.

"Well you should know that this flying nimbus will only allow you to fly on it if you are pure of heart, perfectly innocent, that's why Vegeta can't ride it. It's perfectly safe, only time I ever fell off was when Chichi pushed me." Goku bends his knees as he crouches to pick up Sasami. Gently he places her down on his trusty flying nimbus, Goku is pretty confident the nimbus will accept her as a pure hearted rider but it's better to be safe than sorry. Her mouth forms a small 'o' as he lets her go and the floating cloud holds her up, within a few seconds though a cheery smile has broken out on her face. Goku teaches her the ropes of how she can control the flying nimbus with her will and as he gives her the thumbs up the cloud starts to move.

Giddy laughter comes from Sasami as she takes to the air freely. Goten smiles and begins to levitate under his own power and catches up to his new friend, flying alongside her as they stay at a relatively low altitude due to this being Sasami's first proper time flying. Ryo-ohki would like to be flying in her space-ship form, not in the arms of some boy she hardly knows, but the cabbit was given orders by her mistress shortly after arriving on Earth to refrain from doing so.

As the children mess about in the air enjoying themselves, Goku turns back to face the prince who has simmered down to a more placated state. Vegeta looks down at the flower in his hand, apart from being a bit crisp around the edges it seems no worse for wear. With his other hand he wipes at his eyes, trying to rid himself of some of the excess weariness plaguing him by rubbing the bags under his heavy eyes. With his voice at a level acceptable for an ordinary conversation he asks the one he hates above all others about his financial situation. Goku and his family were never ones rolling in the dough like Bulma was, mainly as Goku never got a job much like Vegeta, but the Saiyan prince would hate his chance of defeating Goku being lost due to him starving from abject poverty. In the past Goku always refused Bulma's charitable gifts of money, which his wife then offered to Goku's wife who did the sensible thing and accepted it. It was always enough for them to live off, nothing too much but Saiyans have a large upkeep bill concerning their dietary requirements. Goku smiles as he walks up towards Vegeta explaining that ever since his son Gohan got engaged with Videl they have had no worries concerning a lack of money – Videl's father being the world renowned billionaire world champion Mr. Hercule Satan.

Ryoko phases down off of the roof to appear beside Vegeta. The rooftop slates in the bright sunlight have begun to get too hot for her as they superheat and start burning her through her clothing. Also, she was waiting until Vegeta's mood had reached a level where he is not liable of deciding to nuke the planet into oblivion from orbit before going near him. It was interesting for her to watch, him squirming uncomfortably by the sweet actions of a little girl and then exploding like a volcano when Goku got within sight – the more she knows about him and his reactions to things the more she can use to her advantage.

Vegeta glances at her as she appears smiling at him. With the only thought in his mind being to get rid of the thing, he holds out one of his arms and drops something into her awaiting open hands. He meant nothing much by passing on Sasami's gift to Ryoko but to the space pirate she interprets this act differently. Vegeta gave her a flower. No matter where you go in the wide reaches of the Milky Way galaxy it keeps the same meaning and romantic connotations, the symbolism of the giving of a flower from someone she holds deep feelings for means a lot to her. He should have realised this, he would have perhaps if he was thinking about what he was doing and not focusing more on Goku, and realised what Ryoko would do if he gifted her a flower.

The Saiyan prince's eyes remain fixed on Goku as thoughts of ripping him apart ebb and flow ceaselessly like the tide, until Ryoko repays him for the poppy. One step of her brown shoes on the grass is all the warning he gets before she pecks him lightly on his cheek with her puckered lips. Vegeta's attention is diverted from his rival to the woman who has just kissed him, a slight blush on both of their cheeks as she smiles fondly at him. Goku looks away awkwardly, giving them some privacy by pretending to be engrossed in watching the children flying about and around the lake. Another confused look spreads over Vegeta's face, then he sees her holding the flower close to her heart and it hits him. He curses how he was so preoccupied to overlook something so obvious but in all fairness she could have done something far more … extravagant would be a kind way of phrasing it.

"Not interrupting anything are we?" Washu is out of her lab and his house, walking hand in hand with Yamcha towards them. Despite her being back in her adult form, Yamcha doesn't seem that happy, who can blame a guy for being a bit miffed off at someone for disintegrating his appendix instead of returning it to its rightful owner. Her excuses of it being a defunct organ more likely to cause him harm than aid his body functioning didn't do much to sway his opinion on what she did. Washu however did see the sense of his view on her being in a younger body after she skimmed over the laws and social stigmas of this planet seeing his words do have the support of millennia of cultural development and evolution behind them. Now the scientist's mission is to make him do the same for her, with a little persuasion from her of course.

Ryoko and Vegeta look at the couple approaching and glower, although for entirely different reasons. They spoilt the mood Ryoko had created and so she has lost her opportunity to follow that kiss up with anything, whereas Vegeta doesn't appreciate these sly comments directed at him. The Saiyan will let it slide for now, he has no capacity to hate anyone else except for the one who has bested him. Speak of the devil, Goku strides up to his pal and gives him a firm handshake.

"Hey Yamcha, good to see you again. This is just a quick visit, Chichi thinks she misplaced her purse when we came over the day before yesterday. So, as Goten is being taught by you Washu, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to spend some time with my son as I brought him over and looked for my wife's purse."

"Lessons are done. There is nothing more required of me to teach your son." Washu is quick to make clear she has no more interest or need of debasing herself to a child's level of intelligence. This is news to both Saiyans. As Vegeta wonders how she managed to claw her way out of the hole he dug for her his mind quickly proceeds to disregard the how but that it will free up a lot more time to train with his son. Vegeta does not want his son to suffer the same fate of being bettered as he has, Gohan got to Super Saiyan 2 when he was still young and the Saiyan prince wants to see if Trunks can get there at an earlier age. His son sure has the potential to do it, however he has never shown those moments of intense surges in power level as Goku's firstborn did.

"They are? Wow, you must be one good teacher to teach him everything in one day … If only we had you when Gohan was a child then I could have spent more time training him than waiting for him to deal with his studies." Seems both Saiyans, despite their inherent differences, think alike. Although it might seem as if they have a one track mind concerning training and their martial abilities they cannot help what their very blood demands them to do. The two warriors exchange a swift glance at each other. Goku might have come with the intention of not fighting but Vegeta will not let him leave without some form of contest in which he can try and regain the pride and dignity stripped from him.

"Thank you Mr. Goku. I had so much fun, thank you. Oops, sorry." A yellow cloud bumps into the back of Goku's head. Sasami is back from her little jaunt in the wide, blue yonder. As Goten swoops down from up high he nimbly picks Sasami from the cloud and places her down on terra firma as he lands next to his father. The kind hearted Saiyan accepts her apology and smiles back down at the child.

Blackness and shade. Thunder and roaring rips the tranquil scene apart. 7 humanoid eyes and Ryo-ohki's immediately go to the monstrous behemoth hanging ominously in the air. Gushing gales rip and lash their way through the forests as the mighty sound of its gradual descent echo off the far off mountains, doubling its already loud noise to a near ear splitting booming.

Ryoko grips tightly to Vegeta's arm. She yells at him to destroy it. He does not. He knows from whence this giant came from, it has truly tremendous power - greater than the two like this he has already seen. Only one person seems unworried or shocked by this sudden arrival. With her blue ponytails whipping about the back of her head she runs up to the edge of the lake to be closer to it. Jumping up and down, giddy with glee, only Saiyan ears can pick up what she shouts merrily though the storm of noise resonating from the second unexpected arrival of the day.

"My mummy and daddy are here!"


	12. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 12: Day 36

Chapter 12

Kirito. A grand first generation Juraian tree. Just on size alone it dwarfs that of both Funaho and Ryuoh. Its massive bulk is heavier and thicker set around its prominent bow, cresting high into the atmosphere is a black tipped dorsal fin riding high and proud aloft on top of the biosphere – a biosphere that could contain a good sized village with plenty of room to spare. The oaken hue of its underside hangs in the air ominously as the roar of its engines die down to a more tolerable hum. Descending as gracefully as a whale diving for food at the bottomless depths of the ocean, the royal flagship of the Juraian fleet majestically makes its way down through layers of clouds and closer still to the planet.

The quaking and sudden, inexplicable deafening sound has brought out the last female member of the household in a panicked rush. With her hair billowing out behind her still having not had the time to tie it back yet, Ayeka walks as fast as is deemed ladylike to the front door and stops. She stands still, hands resting against the doorframe for support as her mouth gapes open in shock. Slowly her head shakes side to side in denial of what she can see looming down above her, Sasami was indeed right in stating that the Juraian royal family has arrived. With the great commotion of yesterday and before that Vegeta's miraculous return from the dead, Yosho's earlier visit to this planet she is seeking refuge on slipped her mind entirely. Apparently this was as much time as he could buy for her before the inevitable happened and they catch up with her.

"Ayeka, Ayeka, look our mum and dad are here! Isn't this great?" The enthusiasm and excitement from the younger of the two siblings fails to seep through the surmounting wall of dreading knitting itself around Ayeka. Seeing Sasami looking so happy she tries to not let her inner fear show. This inexplicable terror at knowing that the one she fears above all others is closing in on her and she has no escape grows with each passing moment. Her mother she wouldn't mind seeing again but she did not leave on particularly good terms with her father last time she spoke to him, some harsh words she regrets were exchanged just before she fled her home planet to get out of her betrothal to her step-brother. For the Emperor of Jurai to come in person does not bode well for her, but a few times before has she seen her father lose his composure and it is not something she wishes to ever bear witness to again.

Ryoko's arms tighten around Vegeta as she continues to hiss at him to blast the spaceship out of the sky. He declines, much to her dissatisfaction. Her deep rooted prejudice against the Juraian race is plain for Vegeta to see, the upbringing she was subjected to at the hands of this imperial race will not allow her to drop the animosity she holds towards all Juraians. As Vegeta keeps her under observation to make sure she doesn't do anything hasty and irrational, he sends out a telepathic command to his only family member.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up. What was it you wanted dad? … Woah! Look at that spaceship, its ginormous!" The father decided it is long past the time at which his son should have risen for the day and that there is something he might definitely want to see. The two Saiyan parents watch as their son's join Sasami by the lakeside in anticipation for the landing of the colossus. Simple pleasures for simple minds, how easy it is to entice and enthral young boys with massive alien spacecraft. At his age Vegeta had already been on numerous voyages of his own through space. Thinking about it, the time they went to take on that monstrosity must have been the first time his son has gone off planet, he still has so much to teach and show him.

A discussion breaks out between the children. Sasami being questioned by the eager lads as to the nature of the spaceship she seems to know about and every tiny, little, obscure fact they can think of asking her about. Vegeta has some questions of his own but turning to look at the high princess of the visiting dignitaries he is not too sure she is feeling the same emotions as her sister is concerning the fast approaching ship. Ryoko is still latched onto his sturdy arm as he turns to walk towards Ayeka. His movement unimpeded as the space pirate floats by his side, he arrives at the threshold to his house and in front of the unsettled maiden.

"Hey Ayeka, look what Vegeta gave me. Too bad for you that your ride home is already here, guess we'll be seeing you … never again. Bye." Flaunting off the poppy she was gifted, Ryoko has placed the flower in her hair by her ear in an oddly girlish fashion for this tomboy. Passing off her enmity onto Ayeka, who she believes she has a very justified reason for disliking, Ryoko impishly sticks her tongue out and wraps her arms possessively around Vegeta's chest. For once Ayeka doesn't seem to care about what Ryoko is saying or her displays to try and raise a reaction from her, with Kirito coming to a stop a kilometre in the sky she is preparing to brace herself from what she expects to happen.

"Lady Ayeka, is your sister correct in stating that this vessel is carrying your parents on board?" The princess tentatively nods as she looks at Vegeta. The Saiyan prince looks back to the spaceship then down to Washu grinning to herself alongside the awestruck human and Earth-raised Saiyan. With the spaceship's descent complete it won't be long until the first landing party places its feet on the third rock from the Sun. Vegeta's senses are having a hard time deciphering the amount of the crew on the ship and whether any are of notable power due to the beacon of ki that is the first generation tree.

"Shall I give this spaceship permission to land Lady Ayeka? It is well within my power to refuse your parents access to my planet if need be."

"Yes … . My father will not simply stop because he cannot reach me, I will have to tell him in person and persuade him to leave my fate in my hands … and not his. Besides, look how happy Sasami is. It will be good for us to see mother again, she might not let on but she has been missing her sorely as I'm sure mother has as well." She takes a step out of the house. Ryoko squeezes Vegeta to try and get his attention but he is ignoring her and focusing on Ayeka and the Juraian ship. Vegeta and Ayeka walk back to the others and await for the new arrivals to disembark.

Silence falls upon the lakeside. A murder of crows raucously propel themselves into the sky, a great flapping of wings and harsh cawing from the flock fleeing in terror from this unknown shadow. Ebony feathers drift down on the breeze emanating from the spaceship. Vegeta's stern gaze scans over the exterior of the ship, observing all outer ports, batteries of guns and the signs of moving shadows behind the darkly tinted portholes. Shallow breaths permeate the air originating from the anxiety of the princess, her smooth knuckles white as her hands clasp together timidly by her chin. A small, reassuring smile is sent her way from the Saiyan prince. She badly needs that boost to her crumbling confidence. Ayeka barely has time to fully appreciate this act of kindness and begin to smile back at him when her lips freeze. One lone voice can be heard, carried on the winds as it calls out one name. A mother calling for her little girl.

"Sasami!"

The daughter jumps up in the air frantically waving her arms and calling back to her mother. Dissipating into nothing is the green teleportation beam that has sent down this woman sprinting full pelt across the lakeside in full Juraian regalia, her careless footfalls spraying dirt and water onto her fine clothes. Sasami runs as fast as her petite legs can carry her to the mother she has pined for. A massive sigh of relief from the pent up breath she had been holding in is released from Ayeka realising it is only her mother and not someone else who emerged from the Juraian ship. The cries of mother and daughter calling for each other ring out across the wilderness as they close the gap between each other.

"Sasami! Oh my poor little Sasami! Mummy's coming Sasami, mummy's coming for you, baby!" Finally the two reach each other. Wide smiles beam gaily between the pair as the mother sinks to her knees and smothers her cherished daughter in her loving embrace. Both are on the verge of tears of joy at being reunited once again. After several minutes of them hugging they stand up and hand in hand they walk towards the group, the daughter leading the mother.

"I-I would like to warn you Lord Vegeta …" Ayeka's hesitant words pique the Saiyan's interest, he looks at her intrigued. " … my mother can be … umm, let's just say she is a rather loving and affectionate person. So please keep that in mind." Vegeta raises an eyebrow. It doesn't sound much like a warning to him. He just accepts that Ayeka must have her reasons for telling him this and he shall shortly find out.

"You're sure she's your mother then?" Ryoko has to slide in a quick insult. With all the attention being focused on Ayeka she is feeling very left out, even when she is clinging to Vegeta like a limpet. The princess' head snaps towards the space pirate with fury in her eyes.

"Now is not the time Ryoko! Pester me some other time if you must but please not now!" Ayeka's strong words shut Ryoko up. Ryoko acquiesces and warily watches the woman merrily laughing with Sasami.

Before anyone has time to prepare, Ryoko is forcefully shunted from her spot and Vegeta is taken unaware. Such speed he was not prepared for, even Goku looks on incredulously at such a display from out of nowhere. She stands a good couple of inches taller than the Saiyan, her long blue hair tied in one high ponytail by some luxurious purple fabric nearly reaches the ground and is evident as to where her youngest daughter inherited her own head of hair. Behind her long azure fringe two small emerald circles are painted between her thin eyebrows. She wears a flowing green royal cape adorned with yellow bows and a golden and blue collar over her much more simplistic burgundy top tucked into her pure white split hakama. Kind salmon eyes are staring at Vegeta as he freezes in confusion at this woman hugging him tightly.

"You must be the kind and nice and lovely gentleman who took care of my baby darlings whilst they were here. Thank you, thank you, thank you." In his totally powered down state suited for everyday life Vegeta can feel a few of his ribs starting to go. Without anyone but those who can detect ki noticing, his power level jumps several hundred thousand to leave him in a state at which this woman's surprising strength is of no threat to crushing the very life from him. Whilst the mother of two of the girls staying with him continues her embrace and thanks, Vegeta turns his head to look at Ayeka. The confusion and discomfort he feels in this situation is clear to the elder daughter embarrassed by her mother's rash actions. Ayeka turns her head to look back at the Juraian ship, and leaves Vegeta with no aid or assistance. Vegeta stands still with his arms pinned to his side whilst pondering whether the Juraian princess is doing this out of spite from yesterday when he did not aid her or simply because of the fear he can sense in her towards someone on that vessel.

One woman though is quite prepared to help Vegeta. As Ryoko catches her breath and staggers back up to her feet, she stares with daggers in her eyes at this stranger who dares to throw her to the side and take her place hugging Vegeta. Wiping some mud from her face and at the grass stains on her clothing, she marches back towards the Saiyan prince and Juraian with her hands curling into fists.

"Who do you think you are coming over here and touching my Ve -"

"Oh no need to be jealous. There are plenty of hugs to go around, so come here you pretty, young woman." Ryoko quickly becomes part of the group hug with Misaki's arm darting out as soon as she was close enough to reach. The space pirate's struggles quickly die down realising this woman is a lot more than meets the eye, even if she tried her hardest she is not too sure whether she could break free of the grip of this Juraian. The flattery as well from the Juraian mother does also help Ryoko to stop fidgeting, albeit it just cancels out her initial mistrust against anyone of her race.

"Excuse me, Miss … Lady …" Vegeta quickly realises in his bid to escape without having to resort to possible violence that neither Ayeka or Sasami has ever truly spoken about their mother before, he does not have the faintest about what her name could be. He improvises and just uses the family surname. " … Miss Jurai?"

"Miss? We've only just met and you're calling me by my nickname, how precious. Please just call me Misaki, and your name?" Vegeta has opened up communications with the one keeping him hostage, it's a step in the right direction even if there was some initial confusion. Misaki's bone crushing strength appears to have left the hug as Ryoko gasps for air and the Juraian smiles at Vegeta.

"I am Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans."

"Come on Vegeta, you mean prince of me and our sons."

"Shut it Kakarot!" One hand wriggles free of Misaki's hug and instantly aims and fires at where the other Saiyan was stood. Vegeta growls seeing the lack of entrails in the furrow cut through the Earth leading off through the scorched forest. Instant transmission makes anything but a surprise attack a sure miss. His smouldering eyes bore into where Goku is now stood before turning his attention back to Misaki. Ryoko has now had enough of this hug and phases out of it. Vegeta does the same, remembering that he can also perform that technique.

"Wow, I haven't seen someone do that in a long time. So Ayeka finally found her own prince did she, I knew she'd do it one day but … oh I thought I had more time with her. It's so cruel. They grow up so fast and soon she won't need me at all. You better treat her well Prince Vegeta, be gentle though she's still got a lot to learn before she'll be a good wife." Tears start to well in Misaki's eyes, her lips begin to quiver and Ayeka has no time to get out of the way before she is gifted with one of her mother's hugs as well. Misaki can't bear the thought of her daughter finally growing up and having to leave the nest as it were. Quietly, she sobs into her daughter's shoulder. Meanwhile her daughter's face starts to flush. Vegeta merely sighs as Ryoko attaches herself to him again, his cold eye's continue to stay on Goku.

"M-mother! No, it's not … Please don't … Mother -" As Ayeka tries to break free, her mother's hug only becomes tighter and her wails louder to mask her daughter's voice.

"Yeah, like Ayeka's trying to say you've got it all wrong. I'm Vegeta's lover not her!" Ryoko seems pretty pleased at the position Ayeka has found herself in. Whatever the princess says or does can be turned against her. If Ayeka continues to keep up her modest denial then it gives Ryoko ample opportunity to taunt and try and cement her position with Vegeta in her stead, however if Ayeka somehow plucks up the courage to publically declare her feelings then she will still have to contend with her mother embarrassing her. The space pirate cheekily grins at Ayeka as she rests her head on Vegeta's shoulder.

"What did you say Ryoko?! Filthily lying to royalty such as my mother and myself is considered treason on most planets so take that back at once!"

"Ayeka ..." A chill rushes down Ayeka's spine from the calm tone of her mother. Putting on a forced smile, she turns to look at her mother who now appears quite serious all of a sudden. "Ayeka, what's with all this 'mother' business? Hmm?"

"W-whatever do you mean, mother dearest ? …" Misaki begins to frown. All the previous warmth has left her face. Sasami knows where this is going and what her sister will be forced to do in front of everyone but to the rest of the group they are left baffled by this change in the Juraian, as if a switch had been turned and she is no longer the same loving person. "… My loving, beautiful mum …" Misaki's scowl deepens. Her eyes hard set stones piercing into her daughter and her grip getting ever so slightly painful. Ayeka wishes it did not have to come to this but there are some things that even a princess must be forced to do. " M-m-m …My mummy."

"My little Ayeka!" Ryoko tries to contain her sniggers but fails. Hearing the princess adopting a higher pitched tone and addressing Misaki as her 'mummy' is just too much for the pirate to handle. As Misaki affectionately holds her daughter, her eyes dart to the one mocking her daughter and Ryoko quickly shuts up. Ryoko thought only Vegeta could hold a look of such masterful intimidation like that. Apparently Misaki has both the strength and the power to break the will of both women. Vegeta finds this slightly humorous as Ryoko nervously peeks over his shoulder at the tall, blue haired Juraian distrustfully.

"How have you been? Have you been taking good care of Sasami and yourself for me? Why did you have to go away without telling me? Why? Did you forget about your mummy?" Misaki's voice quietens and lowers, her mouth hovering close to Ayeka's ear. This she wants to say to her daughter in private, though she does not know about the prying ears of Saiyans that can hear nearly as well as those of Namekians. "You know I would have supported whatever decision you decided to make with my whole heart and do not fret, I might have accidentally tripped some fuses when I beamed down."

"I'm perfectly fine moth – mummy, all the more so for seeing you again. Both me and Sasami have missed you so, so much. I'm so terribly, deeply sorry for abandoning you mummy, please forgive me." Ayeka carries along playing the act her mother loves so much, keeping up the charade despite the embarrassment it causers her for the love of her doting mum. Her mother was always the one she could trust above all others, always reliable and dependable despite her eccentricities. Her own voice drops to a whisper to continue the covert conversation. "Thank you. I-is he here?"

"Your father is the Emperor of Jurai, you think I could stop him? It is as you suspect, he is a tad angry and not in the best of moods. Least of all after finding Yosho covering for you when he was the one ordered to retrieve you. Just hold your head up high and it'll be over soon. Me and sis will help you." Misaki's hug becomes less of an overly dramatic one to a more simple and affectionate one. She can sense the tension and apprehension within her daughter. She might love Azusa but in this her heart is on her daughter's side. She will protect her two children and allow them to live their life however they see fit, even if that goes against the wishes of the leader of the Juraian empire. The hug ends and Misaki stops whispering.

"Its Ok Ayeka, I'm here now. I'm glad you both are safe and sound, I was worried sick some ill might befall you. But, thank Tsunami, my fears seem to be all unfounded. You have found yourself a nice set of friends who all seem so nice. Won't you introduce me?" Ayeka nods at this request and regains her ladylike composure and manner of talk before turning around to face the others as she presents her mother to them.

"This is Queen Misaki Masaki Jurai of the Juraian Empire. As you already know, he is Lord Vegeta and he is the one letting us reside in his house." Ayeka begins to point out each individual one by one for her mother's sake and introduce them to her in turn. Misaki bows formally to the Saiyan prince, he only bows his head in reply. Vegeta is a man who will only show respect to someone once they have earned it from him, his life of subservience to Frieza was more than enough boot licking than he would ever have liked to have done. Misaki might be a queen and Ayeka and Sasami's mum but to him she is still an unusually strong stranger who gets a bit too close for comfort.

" … That - that lowly strumpet next to him is just some common criminal called Ryoko, no need to waste your time on formalities or niceties with her. Better off just forgetting about her altogether, it's what I try and do." Ryoko takes the bait. Goaded by Ayeka's insults and full of confidence from last night's victory, she phases. On the offensive and utilising her speed much greater than that of the princess, she appears behind Ayeka and goes in for the attack. Vegeta would have stopped her but people have to learn from their own mistakes. Ryoko is welcomed into the warm bosom of Misaki for a second hug, her attack foiled by the protective mother. Misaki scolds them like naughty schoolchildren for misbehaving and being mean to each other, all the while nearly squeezing the life from Ryoko. She would make them apologise to each other there and then but there is more fun to be had later on anyway and it would just drag down the mood of this meeting.

" Miss Washu is here also with the man courting her who is a warrior by the name of Yamcha." Ryoko gets flung away and discarded as soon as Misaki's attention is turned to the scientist she has known her whole life. Recovering herself in mid-air, the cyan haired rogue teleports back next to Vegeta and away from this new woman she is not too fond of. Misaki leisurely strolls up to Washu with a happy, knowing smile on her face. She stands in front of the two and Washu simply just says hi. Yamcha glances about to try and decipher whether he should be bowing or what to this member of royalty, Washu has seemingly known her for a while so he is sure she can get off with such an informal greeting but he is not too confident that the same rules will apply to him. Under pressure and not with a lot of time, he makes a random snap decision and genuflects.

"It's good to see you again Washu. I trust that you …" The Queen of Jurai stops mid sentence and with a puzzled expression on her face looks down at the man on one knee. She merrily giggles at this over the top sign of respect to her stature. He looks up at her through the hair that has fallen in front of his eyes realising he might have gone a bit too far.

"My, Washu has you trained well hasn't she. You can stand up now if you want, Yamcha is it? There is no need for you to do that." Misaki lets out a few more chuckles as Washu offers her hand down to Yamcha, he takes it and stands back up looking sheepish. The desert bandit attempts to apologise for his mistake but Washu shushes him so she can catch up with the Juraian.

"So Misaki, trying to pave the way with flowers and rainbows before his majesty, your husband, comes in all his grumpiness?" Washu is eye to eye with Misaki, both with wry smirks on their faces. Yamcha looks on unsure as to what exactly is going on.

"And you're still up to your old mischief, both science related and romantically. Have you told Yamcha yet the secret behind why all of them are called your guinea pigs?"

"Who who's called Washu?" Yamcha seems concerned, Washu does call him a guinea pig quite often. If there is a story behind it then he most certainly wants to know, any background knowledge on the mystery that is Washu would be most appreciated. Washu, on the other hand, is not too keen on her secrets being revealed to her lover and is prepared to stop Misaki telling them.

"It's only fair to warn you." Misaki's arms wrap around Washu and force her head into her chest, stopping Washu's ability to talk and breathe temporarily. The scientist's muffled protests don't stop Misaki spilling the beans. "Her guinea pigs are otherwise known as the poor men who had the misfortune to be in a relationship with her. She uses the term for test subjects as they are disposable, cheap and don't last long, it perfectly suits those like you she chooses to mess around with for a time until she eventually gets bored. For someone as old as her you'd have thought she'd have gone and given up antics like that, some people just never change I guess."

" I preferred you when you were small and didn't have the support of the whole Juraian fleet behind you!" Washu pops up for air and immediately starts shouting at Misaki, enraged and blushing as she is not at all happy. Her emerald eyes dance across to Yamcha to see his reaction but are torn back to Misaki as she begins to speak again.

"But I can't get younger again, unlike someone. I always prefer you when you are a child. Little Washu is such a cutie pie!" Washu lets out an exasperated sigh and turns to see what damage Misaki has caused in her relationship with Yamcha. He is holding his head in his hands and shaking his head side to side. Washu's heart drops and she gets a terrible sinking feeling in her stomach. "So Yamcha, how long has Little Washu been 'experimenting' with you?"

"So far it's been a couple o' weeks of heaven." He lets his hand slip and stop concealing his mouth to talk properly. Underneath is a genuinely happy smile. Washu whispers his name under her breath as she too begins to smile. He honestly doesn't care or mind. If she disposed of her exes by murdering them then he might start to get worried but he kind of guessed she probably has fooled around given the extraordinary length of time she has been alive for.

"Weeks? The longest relationship Washu ever had in my centuries of knowing her was 4 days." Misaki looks at the couple smiling at each other. She feels bad now for inadvertently trying to ruin what they have together, in all honesty she believed Washu to just be manipulating some poor man again – usually such a safe assumption. It has been a long time indeed since she saw such a completely, helplessly love struck expression on anyone's face. "Could it possibly be? Has Little Washu finally fallen head over heels in love? Oh please forgive me for misunderstanding."

"It's ok Lady Misaki, you were just doing what you thought was right. No harm done, well except for when this minx took out one of my organs earlier today. So Washu, is what Misaki says true?" This is a hug that Misaki excuses herself from as Yamcha gently pulls Washu closer to him. The genius' face has gone a darker shade of red than her hair as she feels the stares of everyone else upon her. Ryoko and Ayeka can't help but feel a slight bit of jealousy at how easily this woman has gotten together with a man whilst they still have quite a way to go yet.

" … I-I … . I could ask you the same thing. I'm still waiting for that engagement ring, Yamcha. " Washu stops tripping over her tongue as her universally acclaimed brain kicks back into gear.

"That ain't a yes or no answer, number one scientific genius in the universe." Yamcha wasn't expecting anything less from her. Nothing is easy with Washu, but where's the fun if there is no challenge. She lightly hugs back for a couple of seconds before they break apart from each other.

"Neither is that." Yamcha holds her hand. This little talk has come to remind him what he likes about Washu and for now he'll drop his ill feelings about his long lost appendix. Ayeka clears her throat to get her mother's attention back to her as she directs her to the last remaining adult that the Juraian queen does not know the name of.

"He is Goku, a Saiyan like Lord Vegeta who, coincidentally, is also visiting today." The man in the orange training gi with blue sweatbands and undershirt waves in an amicable manner. Seven shots are then deflected by that same waving hand. Ki blasts shoot and deflect far off over the horizon and away from their intended target. Vegeta's hand points straight and true at the other of his race.

"Like hell that soft hearted and soft headed buffoon is anything like me! We are similar in species and power alone." Vegeta slowly lowers his hand back down to his side. Misaki looks both ways to make sure she isn't going to get caught in any crossfire before continuing to Goku. Standing in the way of the other Saiyan, the Juraian addresses Vegeta in a calming, motherly tone.

"Now, now. Let's not fight amongst friends. I'm sure we can - "

"I'd rather be cast into the abyss again than ever let myself become Kakarot's friend!"

Vegeta's teeth clench and his fists raise. Static build up flows through the air, erecting hairs on the back of people's necks and arms. An attack from behind would be expected but with Misaki covering the front he has either that path left open to him or to go for Goku from above. On the brink of instant transmissioning and engaging in close combat, Vegeta stops. A feminine hand on either of his tensed arms. The flames of war die down within his eyes and the great booming kettledrum that is his heart quietens as he looks first at Ayeka and then Ryoko.

"Ummm, who's Kakarot?" Misaki watches as her daughter kindly touches this man on the verge of destruction with such caring concern for him. It might not be what she imagined Ayeka's future to be like when she was just a little tyke but there is no doubt in this mother's mind about why Ayeka has chosen to stay on this planet. She'll have her work cut out for her with him nearly as much as she did with Azusa, if only she could remember why the name of the species Saiyan is bothering her then her heart would be fully at ease.

"That would be me, Misaki. He calls me by my birth name, but I prefer Goku. Please just excuse Vegeta over there, I'm the reason he's like this. He died recently and- "

" Died?! W-what? You must be joking, he's -" Misaki takes a step back, she was not expecting this in the least. She thinks that he surely cannot be serious and is simply just teasing her about her lack of knowledge concerning them. She looks to her daughters to see if they are in on the joke but neither of them is laughing.

"Death is no joke. I found honour in a warrior's death and was once again resurrected." Vegeta is the one who partially clears away her confusion. It is news of his death after all that was sprung upon her. The apparent death and revival of someone is something only a few rare Juraian myths have ever talked about but Misaki was always too busy playing and climbing trees to study the ancient lore of far off planets.

"Resurrected? Can Saiyans do that? … If you died, did you see her? Tsunami?" With clear confusion on the queen's face, Vegeta tries to think of the most tactful way to break it to her about the Juraian deity. Having learnt from Ayeka that simply rejecting the possibility of any higher being existing in the nether realms he has frequented is neither the smartest or most thoughtful way of dealing with such a highly volatile religious matter, he simply states the facts.

"Neither I nor Kakarot have met anyone named such when deceased."

"You've been dead too?" Despite Vegeta's careful wording and omittance of any words that might lead to the Juraian empire finding out about the dragonballs, he appears to have raised as many questions as he has answered. Ayeka thinks to herself how she would have been in this same exact situation if Ryoko hadn't gotten curious concerning that disc containing most of Vegeta's current past on it. Most offworlders would find it hard to believe the lives these two Saiyan's have lived, had ended and lived again and Misaki is finding it no easier than when Washu starts discussing high level quantum entanglement theory to her.

"Yeah, twice. Vegeta's crossed over three times. Yamcha also twice." Goku's jovial smile does little to put her mind at rest over such a heady matter. Not only have they died but so has the one Washu has become attached to, and all of them multiple times. She can no longer hold in the emotions welling inside her.

"That's so sad, so utterly tragic. Brave warriors laying down their own lives time after time after time without a second thought as they fight the good fight for us all. Putting the wellbeing of others far beyond that of their own. Fearlessly sacrificing themselves in the face of danger. So adorable!" With fresh tears in her eyes and spouting her romanticised version of what she thinks they do, Misaki latches her arms around the trio. Vegeta was in good mind to dodge but he was not too sure how kindly the woman would take his avoidance of her, she does not look like someone you would want to ever get on the bad side of. Then again, he thinks why bother moving. A woman's face directly in front of his and one on the right and one on the left being pressed into his own, Vegeta waits this hug out.

Sudden mood swing over, Misaki's firm hug ends. The Saiyan prince gives thanks that neither of this woman's daughters have her trait for extreme emotional outbursts. With Misaki smiling again and Ayeka stood a few feet away and blushing over how she was a bit too close than she deems proper with Vegeta, the Saiyan finds he is not free from Ryoko. She remains as close as she was and it doesn't appear she is likely to move anytime soon. He rubs at his tired eyes and heavy eyelids again. It's still taking him a good portion of his conscious mind to keep himself from charging Goku but unless there is a spark his fiery rage will not start roaring back into the forefront again.

"Darling Ayeka."

"Yes, mummy?" The princess turns to her mother, still wishing she would not have to continue using such a childlike pronoun to address her. A slightly wry smirk begins on Misaki's face, unnerving her eldest child.

"Ayeka dear, I never thought that when you ran away from your dear, young mother you would go off and surround yourself with such powerful, good looking, rugged and muscle bound fighters. You certainly have your mummy's eye when it comes to men." Ayeka's face continues to uncontrollably blush, especially over that last sentence which was a bit more information than Ayeka bargained on receiving.

" N-no, y-y-you've got it wrong … it's not – it's not like that at all, mother-mummy! P-please don't … I was just trying to… I-I would never do that, Lord Vegeta is …" Ayeka's mind fails for words. She doesn't want her mother to think of her like that. It might be true that Vegeta is a well built man but it was not her intention at all when she fled Jurai to end up here or to fall for this Saiyan. Preferring someone due to their physical being is such a shallow reason that maybe some princesses have but not her, atleast not that much. Her mother always teased her about her shyness around the few males she was allowed to see whilst living in the palace. She cannot think of anything to turn this around, any good counter argument, so she does the only thing she knows to do: distract her. "… And finally those two are Goten and Trunks, the children of Vegeta and Goku."

"They are both so cuuuute!" Misaki is a sucker for children, her extremely strong maternal instincts instantly kick in at the sight of these two hybrid Saiyans. Ayeka exhales a deep sigh of relief as she passes her mother's attention onto some innocent children, time to recuperate and regain her composure before Misaki puts her under the spotlight again. Her mother's intense mollycoddling is perhaps the only feature of her that annoys both her and Sasami, and now it can annoy Trunks and Goten.

Knelt down on the grass, the Juraian queen begins to smother the children. In her opinion all children should be cherished and showered with love, just like she does with her own whenever she gets the chance. Goku's son is mostly used to behaviour like this, Chichi is maybe a bit more protective than overtly affectionate but a hug is a hug to him. Trunks though is not at all comfortable. His mum is dead and the last proper hug he had like this is nearly beyond his recollection, he knows of no good reason why he should allow this stranger to be touching him. Never mind a year with just his father has hardened his heart against such loving embraces.

"Dad, should I have stayed in bed?" Trunks voices his mind. The impetuous youth knows that Misaki can hear him but to him that just means there's an additional chance of him being released. Misaki though interprets his words to mean something only she could think of.

"Poor baby's still sleepy from his nap. Aww."

"In hindsight it probably would have been safer and wiser, my son." Misaki finds herself one lad down in her hug. One second he was there and the next he was gone. He isn't interested by this woman, he wants to find out about that spaceship and he severely doubts his questions will be answered by Misaki. Goten follows his friend's lead and vanishes before Misaki's eyes. He does leave someone behind though to keep her company, it'd be rude to leave her on her own. The one he had been holding in his hands is now meowing in Misaki's.

"Awwww, and who is this ickle, fluffy, wuffy, snuggle muffins? Aren't you just the cutest thing. Look at those floppy ears, sooo soft." Ryo-ohki seems to be the only one among them who does not mind in the slightest being fussed over to such a degree, contently purring it's little heart out as she gets cuddled and petted by the blue haired woman. Sasami goes up to her mother and tells her who the cabbit is as she pulls a carrot from her pocket and gives it to Ryo-ohki who greedily devours it. Sasami also seems to have inherited her mother's good nature towards animals as well as her sunny disposition on life.

Trunks gives a thumbs up to his friend over his good thinking of ditching the animal with Misaki to allow them to escape. The lads begin discussing what their wild imaginations think is on the Juraian tree ship. Goku is trying to keep away from Vegeta and not do anything to grab his attention lest he provokes another violent response from the prince.

"Ayeka honey, I just remembered something." Misaki leaps to her feet with Ryo-ohki safely evacuating to the top of Sasami's head. As her mother approaches her rummaging in one of her cape's inner pockets, Ayeka feels that this does not bode well for her – or more precisely for her image.

"Ah, here it is. When you were rushing off you forgot to pack your favourite stuffed animal, so I brought him for you." Ayeka freezes upon seeing this tattered and worn remnant from her childhood. Another sputter of giggles comes from Ryoko, of course from her safe position behind Vegeta. Redness creeps into Ayeka's face. She could never tell whether her mother does things like this on purpose to embarrass her or whether she is actually that oblivious or in denial about her actual age. Misaki is waving the toy in her hands, waiting for Ayeka to take it from her and thank her for her kindness.

"No! Mother, not in front of Vegeta! I don't want that stupid thing." Her embarrassment has gotten too much for her as she yells out in protest. Out of the corner of her eye she spied the Saiyan's lips begin to twitch into a snigger. There is only so far her patience can be pushed before even she has to say no … and then quickly apologise when her mother's glare turns on her.

"Mummy, I left that on purpose. You see I'm too … generous to keep it as my own, I decided to gift it to a charity for … the war orphans. It's not mine any longer mother." She was going to say the word old then realised that would never have dissuaded her mother. Her mother still sees her as someone who should be treated as if they were the same age as Sasami. Ayeka hopes these words have gotten through to her mother that she does not want what she is offering.

The Juraian queen looks down at the faded and patched up toy. She can still remember so vividly the day when her young daughter came running up to her in tears over this, her favourite toy she would never be separated from, getting a rip breaking the stitching attaching one of its limbs. Sasami hadn't even been born at that time, still just another twinkle in Misaki's eyes. Now it is evident she wants rid of it, this bearer of so many precious memories and magical times. Not even her youngest appears to have an interest in what she is holding. She is no idiot, just a woman who doesn't want to be without her children. Her job as a mother is starting to come to its natural end, whether she wants it to or not.

Forlornly, she makes the stuffed animal mimic a waving action to Ayeka. She doesn't want to admit to her baby having grown up and become independent from her, she just wants things to stay as they were. Her child that ran away from home, her firstborn, is a little girl no longer. Misaki's salmon eyes quickly begin to mist over as she looks upon her daughter as a woman. A woman able to start her own family and have her own adventures and her own tales to tell, all without her. What is worse for her is because of her intimate knowledge of her children she knows about the inseparable bond between both of her daughters, a bond she believed was as inseparable as the one she held with them. If Ayeka decides not to stay with her then she will also lose her youngest from her side. The loss of both her daughters from her life hurts her like a physical blow, she knew this day would come but she never thought it would be so painful. A woman steps forward. Her hands close over Misaki's, the queen looks up at her face through vision clouded by moisture. This is not the face of her Ayeka.

"Misaki?" Ryoko stands before the queen. Her feline eyes normally so sharp now dulled by sympathy.

"Misaki, I'm an orphan. All my parents died or abandoned me when I was really small and I can't remember them at all, not one bit. W-would it be OK if I looked after the toy for Ayeka? I grew up on my own without anyone ever buying me toys as nice as these, I'll take good care of it I promise. If I have it then it'll be here for Ayeka whenever she wants it back."

"Yes, y-y-yes of course you can. Come to Mummy Misaki you sweet child." Ryoko willingly goes into her hug as the toy is handed over, an embrace mutually comforting for both parties. The tears of the parent fall freely into the pirate's shoulder and Ryoko's sad past is but a small fraction of the reason they flow. Even a queen needs a consoling shoulder every now and again. Not before long the hug grows, two more people wrap their arms around this woman full of love. The two siblings born from this woman ease her tears, not drying them completely but helping all the same.

Misaki is the one to end the hug, letting go of Ryoko and signalling to her children that she wishes for them to stop now. Sasami stays clung on the longest, not wanting to see her mother upset as it then makes her sad, until Misaki picks her up and holds her close before placing her back down on the ground. Ryoko phases to sit down on top of the roof with the soft toy clutched to her chest, her crocodile tears ceasing immediately as her toothy grin appears on her face. Such an easy stunt to pull off, now she has something of Ayeka's that is of great personal value to her. The heist went without a hitch. Swinging her legs off the edge of the roof, Ryoko watches Ayeka glance at her before turning her attention back towards her mother approaching Vegeta.

" Prince Vegeta? Here is something for you." He is not too sure what he just witnessed, he knew Ryoko was up to some scheme during it but he's beginning to question this woman's emotional stability. Her eyes are still bloodshot from the salty tears and some of her makeup has been smudged, Vegeta meets her half way. In the palm of her left hand is a flat card no bigger than a fingernail composed of some carbon composites. Without touching it, Vegeta lifts it with telekinesis so it hovers before his face, allowing him a better look at whatever this is. It's too small for Ryoko to make out from where she is so she teleports back down to the ground still holding the fake animal. The rasping sound of Vegeta scratching his stubble can be heard as he rotates the thing in mid air.

Washu half listens to the conversation Yamcha is having with Goku and half collecting more primary data on the Juraian royal family. As much fun as it is to hear about the time Yamcha crashed the night at Goku's and got kicked out by Chichi for exposing Gohan to probably a bit more alcohol than was good for the young man, her mind deduces the possibilities of what is stored within that memory shard. It takes her but a second and she feels she has it pinpointed before beginning to playfully tease Yamcha again … at the back of her mind though she wonders how difficult it would be to get Goku or one of his son's to 'volunteer' to aid her research. Gohan is her best bet, a fellow scholar would not impede the furthering of science.

"What is it?" In unison all four stood by Misaki ask this question. Ayeka and Sasami are still concerned about their mother especially after the way she cried but this random gift to Vegeta has raised their curiosity, their mother does love surprises and surprising people. Misaki smiles at the question, though her smile doesn't seem as full of merriment as it was minutes ago.

"Nothing much or of value to many people. However, given these circumstances and how my daughters are living with you, it is probably to your interest. It contains that most precious to my heart, irreplaceable moments frozen in time of those most dear to my heart. Within this you shall find a full and complete pictorial and home film collection of my girls from the moments when I – w-when I first held them in m-my arms to … to a few weeks before they l-left, A-a-Ayeka's coming of a-age celebration. … A family album, if you will. Please Prince Vegeta, treasure my beautiful angels and the time you have with them as much as I have and still do."

"So all mother's are indeed like she was … I shall try to do what you ask of me, being a parent also I somewhat understand. You have my word as a Saiyan." The first sentence he quietly mutters to himself as he nods at this mother and takes the storage device within his hand. Such a delicate thing he will have to be careful with and keep out of reach of a certain someone since it was trusted to him. That certain person is hovering over his shoulder right now with her eyes on the prize. Ayeka's cheeks blush fully at the prospect of Vegeta having access to such private images of her but she will not speak up about it, it is clear to see from the look in her mother's eyes that she needs for someone to have this. Finally her mother has accepted her as a young adult which she always wanted but not to cause her such abject pain as it obviously is. It had to be done sooner or later, for her mother's sake she will try and not make this anymore difficult than it already is.

"Family photos? This is priceless. Since your training whatchamacallit is broken we could spend all day watching this together Vegeta, I'm sure we'll find it so thoroughly entertaining. I do hope we get to see baby Ayeka in her dirty nappy, wetting her bed and being even more flat chested than she is now." Her tail swishes side to side excitedly as she orbits around Vegeta. That single device will give her so much ammunition to use in humiliating the princess she detests and it is being freely offered to them, Ryoko is beginning to warm towards this Misaki woman. The Saiyan prince's eyes follow the pirate floating past him and her deft hands inching ever closer to the data chip. He has to admit he is curious about what he might find out within this, though he still has a low interest in seeing images of children.

"Ryoko, if Vegeta chooses to see what is recorded on that then it is his decision and I shall respect it. This was my mother's gift to him, not mine, so I have no say over whether you may also watch. Just remember that it isn't yours and it is one of a kind, mother would be most displeased with you if any ill came to it and I'm sure you wouldn't want that."

"That's incorrect." The pink haired scientist chips in, interrupting Ayeka from where she is stood arm in arm with Yamcha. She doesn't bother moving to them to join in the conversation, they can hear her just fine from where she is. Ayeka looks across at her with a look similar to one her mother would give anyone insulting her daughters.

"Miss Washu I am trying to get this dog to behave, what, by Jurai, was wrong with what I said?" As the princess of Jurai says this Ryoko puts her arms back around Vegeta and messes with the flower in her hair, making sure her rival notices it again. Misaki compliments her on how pretty the flower is. Washu simply points to the thing in Vegeta's hands and continues talking.

"Easy now princess, just trying to make your statements accurate. It's just that those files are not one of a kind as you said. I have multiple backup copies of them stored in secure, isolated servers, by Misaki's orders no less. It'd be silly to only have one, what if it got damaged or corrupted? Then there's the backups for Misaki and Funaho when they were young, for Azusa, their parents and so on and so forth. I have 'em all nice and safe in my lab."

Washu smirks having explained the situation and how she has a complete collection of the whole Juraian royal family tracing all the way back to when the Tuffle race first made contact with the Juraians. Her emerald eyes witness the green transporter beam beneath the ship activate again. She wonders to herself how it took them so long to fix such a simple fault, unless they had someone incredibly clumsy trip and break several of the replacements the problem should have been rectified within two minutes maximum. Ayeka looks to her mother in confusion, she doesn't understand why someone not of Jurai should be freely given such confidential records. Misaki smiles at her confused daughter and nods reassuringly at her, she also saw the reactivation of the transporter.

"Then have this back Misaki." Vegeta carefully places the memory card back into the Juraian's hands and closes her second hand over it. Misaki looks into the cold eyes of his, he might have an exterior of ice but she can just make out his soul of fire in the depths of those pupils. That faint and distant warmth must be what her daughter sees every time she looks into those eyes. He crosses his arms back in front of his chest and his eyes go to the mother's elder child for a second.

"You'll need it more than I. If Washu has copies then I will use them, since you cannot access them you require the original. You are a good mother Misaki, you did the best job possible in raising both Ayeka and Sasami into ladies of Jurai." The Saiyan smiles at her, he is not so removed from emotions he doesn't understand Misaki is actually in quite a precarious and delicate emotional state. As Misaki goes to give him another hug he vanishes.

"Thank you Vegeta, you are - " Misaki sees the empty space before her and turns around slowly. The time she bought for her daughters is up. The short prince of the near extinct race stands metres away from them with a fist pressing into the bridge of his nose. From beneath the flowing and well groomed violet beard snarls utter forth from in-between the royal's gritted teeth. Ayeka and Sasami's breath catch in their throat seeing their father like this, the cold chill from before spreads back into the older princess.

"So you are Emperor Azusa … this is going to be fun." With a smirk Vegeta pushes the fist away with his head.


	13. Vegeta Muyo! Chapter 13: Day 36

Chapter 13

Veins pulsate and pound across his forehead. Swishing his tied back side locks of hair from his raging grimace, his stern and cold eyes lock onto a pair looking on in amusement. Cracking his knuckles, he reforms his right hand into a fist and pulls back his arm in preparation to swing it forward with all his might. Tensing his arm at the last possible moment just before impact and pushing his full weight into the punch, Vegeta stands still. The blow hits him in the same place. It then hits again, and again, and again.

"You are he, the one, that rotten BASTARD!" Azusa shouts with rage, alternating between his right and left fists as he tries to exact his revenge on this man. His tan and burgundy cloak with a stiff collar and lined with silver and forest green is strewn on the floor, the emperor bears down on Vegeta in just his jade kimono. The great violet mane and beard of this man head and shoulders taller than the Saiyan swishes with every great impact.

"I'm going to need a little more to go on then that if I am indeed 'the one'. Come on, keep it up, you're wearing me down. I can't take much more." Smirking confidently from beneath the place getting repeatedly hit, Vegeta takes each punch without so much as moving. The strikes are well formed, have a lot of oomph behind them but they don't come near to making him have any need or want to avoid them. He tries to keep the emperor's attention fixed upon him as he sees Ayeka stood there petrified from fear, Misaki and Sasami though are hurrying up to the aggressor to stop him. In between each cry for Azusa to stop his assault, Ryoko's voice can be heard trying to egg Vegeta on into retaliating and taking down the emperor of Jurai.

"Don't play dumb with me you monster, I would recognise that face anywhere. You're that filthy simian! The Saiyan. The spawn of the king who declared war on Jurai and my people!" Roaring with rage, the assault on Vegeta continues. Soon kicks, elbows and vicious chops become part of the equation, striking every inch of the Saiyan stood before him. Vegeta yawns and looks back at the women before cricking his neck to the side. With the minutest of movements, the Saiyan moves out of the way of a savage blow and taps the emperor on the back, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Washu places her arms on the chests of both Yamcha and Goku to prevent them from going forward. She tells them to not intervene as they will only complicate these family matters, that it does not concern them and Azusa's will is always set in stone and is never altered by words alone. Yamcha says that he hopes she is right to which she responds she is always right. The two Z fighters stand and watch but remain ready to jump in if Vegeta decides to show the emperor his own punches.

"Azusa, stop! Please, just stop and take a deep breath and calm yourself down dear. It's Ok, everything's fine. It's all been sorted out." Misaki has reached her husband and helps him up off the floor. Azusa accepts her help but his gaze locks back onto the smirking Saiyan stood with his arms crossed. The emperor lets out a sigh of immense agitation but concedes to hear his wife out, the wife who is quickly recalling what Saiyans were and might still be.

"Sorted out? So you've managed to rescue our daughters from this evil man's clutches, is that what you're saying?" For the first time since his arrival on Earth, Azusa looks across to his daughters; to Ayeka stood by the large, wooden house and Sasami with her arms wrapped around her mother's waist. He kneels down and pats his youngest child on her head in a comforting manner whilst he awaits a response from his wife. A multitude of green rays dot the lakeside.

"Ummm… not exactly, you see Azusa -"

"He's playing off your kind and caring nature Misaki! You always were too good hearted to see the bad in people, I thought you'd atleast care that our daughters are being held hostage by someone who has Juraian blood on his hands!" Azusa's anger and hatred towards all members of the Cold empire who he warred with for his whole reign gets the better of him. The sound of flesh striking flesh echoes across the landscape.

"Don't you dare say that! Don't you even dare say that I don't care about our children! You know how much I love them!" Misaki's eyes fill with a blaze of womanly wrath. Her hand that just lashed out retracts to her daughter in a protective manner. Vegeta grunts in amusement as he looks from the stunned emperor to the large party approaching his property, so much for him thinking he'd be bored on a day with no training. The father rubs at the smarting hand print across his cheek

"You're the one too blinded by his own egotistical pride to see that Ayeka and Sasami are happy here. Vegeta is a good man, he has the blessings of Tsunami upon him, Azusa. Just stop with this ridiculousness right now." There is still a flicker of a threat burning in the eyes of the woman he loves, even though she might be stronger than he the husband shows no signs of fear towards his wife. Azusa brushes a lock of Byzantium hair out of his face, he doesn't understand why his wife has brought the Goddess into this conversation.

"What lies has he told you Misaki? This dirty primate will do or say anything to continue his evil ways unopposed by righteous saints like you. Tsunami would watch him burn as he watched our worlds burn, not give him her eternal blessings. Have you forgotten about the scourge of Zenusp, of Astith or even Eephrenth where your grandparents were killed?" Misaki stands silent, glowering at her husband at being so harshly reminded of the death of family members but also pondering upon his words. Despite her good will to all strangers, she cannot help but be ill at ease and distrustful of this man called Vegeta after learning his bloody past. She understands Azusa's concern – and begins to reciprocate it – but what the emperor is saying does not correspond with the prince she met and chatted to. She trusts Ayeka's judgement of this man and Sasami's too, her daughters would not still be here, or alive, if this were the same man Azusa is talking about.

"Sister is right, Azusa. You are the one in the wrong here, we are the ones visiting and you disgrace all of Jurai by acting so violently. Rulers are supposed to set an example for the people they represent and were put in power to take care of. Where is the dignified emperor who held the line and protected our empire from certain destruction and dissolution?" This voice comes from behind Azusa, a very calm and mellow female voice he knows too well.

"Hello, it is a lovely house you have here. I am Empress Funaho Masaki Jurai and it is a pleasure to meet you kind sir, please forgive my husband for his rudeness." The woman politely introduces herself to Vegeta as he looks at her, her son Yosho by her side and the armed entourage following several paces behind them made up of two distinct groups. Funaho is dressed in more of the same Juraian regalia of many light colours with one small circle painted between her brows and straight and raven hair falling past her waist with only her side locks being loosely tied by a white ribbon. Vegeta nods at the first wife of Azusa in greeting and at the Juraian who previously attempted to do the same thing that the emperor is. His hawk eyes scan over the legions forming rank into battalions behind the empress and Juraian prince. He recognises the similar outfits of Juraian guards, in their pure white garb of light armour and stave weaponry, standing to attention. The second lot though he is having trouble placing. They stand well back behind the Juraians, a separate a distinct group made up of many different species all dressed in the same uniform. Vegeta is sure he ran into whatever guild or faction these people represent before, when his job was still demolition and eradication but that was many long years ago.

"Have you both lost your minds! He is a Saiyan, do you not remember what they did in their service to Frieza? Even after they were thankfully erased, this cockroach continued on his demonic father's legacy by committing genocide time and time again against our people. He is no man, he is a devil and shall die by my hand!" Azusa's hand jumps to his belt and the wooden hilt attached to it. Roaring at Vegeta, he takes his weapon in his hand and it springs to life in a flare of azure light. The emperor's second hand clasps over the hilt as cerulean energy bursts from the hilt guard and forms a 6 foot long claymore shaped blade, with all his might he thrusts it forward towards the heart of the monster who has imprisoned his princess.

"FATHER! STOP IT!" Ayeka screams. Her voice brings the razor's edge to a halt, and both Misaki and Funaho's arms reaching out just too slowly to stop their husband. Through aggravated breaths the father turns his eyes to his daughter, as does Vegeta and the others. Inching the blade from the Saiyan's chest, Azusa's hand dances in a practised flick of the wrist. An 'X' appears on the tattered and torn training gear of the Saiyan prince just to the left of his sternum and the heavy broadsword embeds a good deal of its length into the soft soil by the emperor's feet. Resting his hands on the wrapped vines of the pommel and rubbing at the amethysts ingrained in the grip, Azusa fails to notice two perpendicular slashes appearing on his own clothing.

"You have no right to talk Ayeka. You disobey the orders of your emperor, your father, you leave Jurai with an uncertain future, your mother in tears for weeks and for what? To go and elope with the most wanted fugitive, second only to the now dead Frieza."

"T-that's not true. It's not like that at all, you've got it wrong! Father, he is - "

"I am Prince Vegeta of the Saiyan race. I am the one who wiped out five of your colonies destroyed in the war. I am the owner of this new Saiyan homeworld and unless you want me to start up the war I helped to end you would do best to listen to Ayeka." Vegeta steps slowly in-between father and daughter. He keeps his cool eyes on the sovereign, his self assured smile still in place as his gravelly voice speaks with no emotion. Even when Azusa unearths his sword and levels it with the prince's head Vegeta merely looks behind him to check on Ayeka.

" You impudent swine, you address my daughter as if she were some tavern wench!" Azusa bellows. He swings the sword high above his head and brings it crashing down. In the milliseconds it takes for the sword to descend Vegeta agrees in his mind that he did indeed forget to use the proper respective prefix, that and he should keep an eye on his son, that he could do with a snack and how long this whole thing is going to last … Many idle thoughts flitter through his brain in the instant death edges closer but it does naught to distract him. Between two fingers the sword finds itself at a complete stop. Vegeta's smirk turns into a grin as he sees fear begin to creep into Azusa's face, the Juraian is beginning to have a slight understanding at who and what he is dealing with as the blade of focused energy is dissected between Vegeta's index and middle finger closing in a scissor like motion. A wave of extremely fearful mutters and murmurs pass over the armed crowd, many just gawking at what they witnessed.

"I will do whatever I damn well please. You cannot stop me. Nothing in your empire but those ships of yours posed the slightest threat to me back in the day. Now I have become the legendary super Saiyan and you shall fear my power and what I can do. Lady Ayeka is staying in my house of her own free will and if you want to take her back for that insidious plan of yours to marry her off to her own flesh and blood then you'll have to kill me first. I'd like to see you try, or were those pitiful flailings your best?"

Vegeta takes a step forward so he is inches from Azusa, looking up at him with a menacing smile as Azusa takes a few hurried steps backwards and drops the inert sword hilt on the ground. A tension fills the air. Sounds of clinking arms and armour, shuffling feet and the steady hum of the hovering space craft are all that can be heard. Eyeing the Saiyan warily, Azusa manoeuvres himself in front of his wife and youngest child and gently pushes Misaki backwards. Everyone stands still and waits, all eyes locked on the opposing prince and emperor. Nobody notices a female hand popping out of the ground and snatching the discarded Juraian weapon before phasing back to her place. Ayeka's wide eyes flit between the two most important men in her life and prays that nothing bad will come of this meeting.

" … Stupid monkeys - "

"Vegeta! NO!" By the time Ayeka's words have left her mouth it is too late. The distance has been covered, the attack planned and successfully landed. Blood trickles, mingling into the purple beard. Azusa collapses onto his knees with all the wind driven from his lungs, in pained wheezes he tries to rasp out insults. Vegeta retracts his fist from the gut of the emperor. A single finger is placed on the forehead creased by the wrinkles of rage and pain. Light begins to shimmer from the fingertip. Ayeka's heart misses a beat, Sasami hides her head in her mother's dress as Azusa looks into the murderous eyes of the man above him.

Vegeta turns his head from the downed emperor to Goku. His rival having just instant transmissioned closer to the scene to remind Vegeta he is there and will stop him if need be. Yamcha would have done the same but after seeing Goku disappear Washu tightens her grip on his hand and whispers for him to wait.

"You better start listening, Emperor Azusa. No one, I repeat no one, will ever be allowed to call any Saiyan that ever again. Capicse? Those times are over."

"Lord Vegeta, please …" Ayeka tentatively steps forward towards her prince. The rest of the Juraians are frozen at the sight of their emperor effortlessly taken down, Misaki and Funaho stunned at how even they could not follow any part of that attack. The light extinguishes itself as Vegeta puts his arms by his side. He turns to face the young Juraian woman approaching him with a kind smile on his face.

"Have no fear Lady Ayeka, I do not intend on killing your father, merely teach him a little humility in the same manner I was taught." Vegeta's eyes flicker to the other pure blood Saiyan for a millisecond before going back to Ayeka. He places a firm hand on her shoulder. She places one of her hands on his but still no smile comes to her face. The air hisses as someone materialises closer and starts tapping her feet impatiently on the ground, her arms crossed and holding an item in each hand as she looks disapprovingly at the two.

"Y-y … you swine … You are not of high enough birth or blood to even think about laying even a finger on my daughter, you common barbarian." Almost coughing up a lung as he tries to rise back to his feet, Azusa forgets the pain in his gut and pushes through it. Stood up again, he tries to get his own back on the one who hit him. His attempt fails after barely managing a step.

Tight fingers squeeze around the throat of the emperor. Vegeta's feet hovering a foot off of the ground so that he can easily lift Azusa off his feet, steadily he flies his way over the lake and releases his grip. The desperate struggles for breath were beginning to alarm his daughters and wives as they watch helplessly as Vegeta tries to control this situation. His worn and scuffed boots thud back down onto the grass as Vegeta walks back to the princess. With his mind he tells Ryoko to continue to behave as well as she is lest he won't spend any time with her on this day he cannot train.

Meanwhile the two Saiyan blooded children start whispering to each other. Their parents know what they are planning and saying but don't see the harm in allowing them to indulge in their childish fantasy and quench their natural curiousness. Steam explodes from the lake as an irate Juraian bursts forth and lands back on dry land, just as the forms of the two lads vanish and reappear flying beneath the spaceship trying to look for a way in. Misaki and Funaho go by their husband's side as they both place a restraining hand on him, holding him back from doing anything else rash that might cause him to be harmed again. Sasami leaves her mother's side, not wanting to go near her angry father and instead goes to clutch Ayeka instead.

"Funaho, I believe it would be safer if you waited on Kirito, this man is clearly dangerous." Azusa speaks quietly, concern in his voice as he glances at his wives. He exhales deeply and pulls himself up to his full height. With perfect posture, he regains his regal composure and sense of decorum. It's clear to him that trying to get the upper hand against Vegeta he shouldn't choose that at which all Saiyans are bred to do, aggression is out and he shall try negotiating. His wife was correct, if he can deal with invading forces in a calm and collected manner then so too can he deal with this single man that way. "Misaki, you might be my wife who I should protect but you seem to be forgetting your duties as well. Did I have you appointed Supreme Commander of the Juraian Royal Bodyguards for naught?"

"I remember my duty Azusa, but this little spat is of your doing and Lord Vegeta was too quick for me to - " As Misaki explains why she wasn't doing her job, a bout of laughter erupts from the Saiyan prince. Ayeka quietly says Vegeta's name in a way implying for him to not do that but his moment of amusement had already ended, he apologises to Ayeka before looking back at the three Juraian royals stood across from him with a smirk.

"Scoundrel, do you mock my wife?" Azusa's arms tense against those of his wives', but he soon relents and calms back down. Funaho was right that he is not acting in a very dignified manner and he hopes to rectify that mistake.

"Not her, but you. Ha! To think such a strong, noble and feared ruler as that of Jurai needs a whole platoon of people to protect just him. Weaklings unable to defend themselves are the ones who need protectors."

"You speak of folly, leaving myself unprotected would just welcome assassination attempts. I protect myself with guards not just for myself but for all of Jurai and so that there are always people to protect those closest to me."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you are not strong enough to rely upon your own strength. How can you protect others if you cannot protect yourself? True Saiyans, like me, rely only upon their own abilities and strength, no Saiyan King has ever had the need for disgracing his or herself with guards." Vegeta still religiously upholds to the ancient culture of Saiyans, even though he is the last one doing so, he pities those of other races who cower behind others for safety. His mind could never wrap around the major cultural differences between his species and that of more or less every other humanoid one when it comes to matters of protection, strength or battle. From his viewpoint, relying upon others will not give you any cause to better yourself but merely become dependent and weak, his independence is a factor towards his own strength. Azusa though has the perfect counter argument lined up.

"An idiotic argument if ever I heard one. You say no Saiyan ever had bodyguards … well tell me, where are all those Saiyans who relied upon themselves? Your king and the rest of you bloodthirsty cutthroats paid for that mistake with their lives. I will not allow Jurai to suffer a similar fate. I have complete faith and trust in my wife and her ability to save my life and that of Funaho and the children." Now it is Azusa's turn to smile confidently. He expected as much from a savage, not able to see that he is setting himself up for a fall until he stands with his toes over the edge. Looking down on this small remnant of a once mighty people, he is thankful that all troubles with the warmongering Cold empire have come to a stop, dealing with low lives like these cost Jurai dearly. His temper though is beginning to slip again, much akin to Vegeta's. Both are in the presence of one they loathe and detest. Both want to vent some of their hatred on that individual through physical means but neither will for the time being because of one person, Ayeka.

"Your faith in her does not mean she can always protect you. Faith is never as good as the concrete knowledge in knowing your own physical prowess. You should not ask of others how they can protect you, but how you can protect them. What makes someone decide that their wife of all people is the perfect candidate to guard you?" Not allowing the reminder of his own race's extinction to deter him, Vegeta continues to press his opinion on the subject of guards. Particularly on this most peculiarly choice of Misaki. Vegeta can vouch for her strength at being able to defend herself and she is definitely one to lay down her life, if need be, for those she loves but he was taught something contrary to this. When Vegeta came to Earth he had no concept of love, of relationships or marriage, they were as alien to him as the people he massacred. However, when the time came for him to tie the knot with Bulma when she became pregnant with his child he was told that it was the husband's most important duty to safeguard his wife, and not the other way around. That makes sense to him, what seems to be Jurai's way does not.

"Lord Vegeta, mother is actually the one most qualified for the job." Both proud fathers turn to look at the speaker. In a very hushed and demure voice, Ayeka continues to speak.

"Father did not give her the position through favouritism or such but because no one else compared to her. Meeting her you wouldn't immediately guess it yet you yourself have felt her strength and seen her speed. Sure she is no match for you Lord Vegeta, but on Jurai not a single person can take the crown from her when she enters the great tournaments. Hence, she was not so surprisingly given this honourable role to protect the Juraian royal family of which she is an integral part of."

"Indeed what Little Ay - what Ayeka says is true, Lord Vegeta. Though I have not entered the ring since I became a mother, it is widely known on Jurai that I am the undisputed champion. Hand to hand of course, that was always my way … Maybe someday we shall see you in a tournament on Jurai, it might draw me out of retirement." Misaki carries on from her daughter. He might hold his secrets of strength and battles but so too does she. Her daughters have never seen her in action, it has been so long since she was last in the arena with the crowd cheering and applauding her she has nearly forgotten that feeling of victory. It would be good to get back to her roots and remind Jurai what she is capable of. If her children no longer require or want her constant attention and as she is still young, for a Juraian, there is no reason stopping her.

"If you are the best Jurai has to offer then such a fight would not be worthy of my time. Although if Kakarot were to enter it then finally we might have a place to settle the score, for you see I have been banned from entering any fighting event on this planet for some reason. All the tournaments here are rigged to allow that fool Satan to win anyway." Vegeta rejects this offer. If it offers up no challenge then it does not entice him, there is only one person he has any wish to fight and he has worked his whole life for it. He doesn't expect Goku to agree to this, he would never agree to any fight with Vegeta unless absolutely necessary. The Saiyan prince can always hope though, he always has that candle of hope burning within that one day he will succeed, he will triumph and retake his rightful position.

"We'd need an abandoned planet to fight on Vegeta. I'm not going to have what happened last time happen again." As predicted, Goku declines Vegeta's proposal to host their rematch on Jurai. Vegeta simply shrugs. Inside though he is still wrestling for control of rational thought and judgement, Goku has no business to be here and should know to be on his way before he inevitably loses himself to the bloodlust. Training was always his way to focus these pent up emotions, he harnesses the strength and motivation they give him to push himself ever onwards towards that distant yet tantalising goal.

"Well, the invitation stands should you reconsider. If you do, please bring my darling girls back with you a-and you could stay as long as you want. First prize, if you can indeed triumph over me, is a knighthood and also you are given the ability to ask my husband to bequeath unto you one thing that is within his power to grant." Misaki's voice cracks when she mentions her children. She would give anything for Vegeta to accept this so she can spend a few weeks, even just a single day, with her cherished darlings. It will be just like the good old days where everything was as it should be and her children hadn't become independent … Seems like such a long time ago when in fact it was closer to only two months when Misaki was still living her motherly dream, a happy dream now shattered with reality remorselessly knitting itself in its stead. Whilst she wishes to reprise her role in the happy family slipping through her fingertips, Azusa grinds her teeth.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself Misaki. This man has destroyed Juraian colonies, and you will freely let him onto our capital? We cannot trust him. I will not trust him and neither will our people. There will be an uprising if they find out one of our enemies from the past has been given amnesty and allowed to walk freely among relatives of people he murdered. Never mind if he intends to bring along another of his butchers with him … the threat is too great. I cannot risk it … even for you Misaki."

Funaho puts her hand on Misaki's shoulder in a comforting manner, she has deciphered already what has transpired during the time that Misaki stalled their leaving of Kirito. She'll be there for her sister as this will hit her hard, harder than it already has, and in the coming days she'll need all the support she can get. The emperor though only has a faint sensing that something happened between mother and daughter, yet his main concern is not on that but the Saiyan.

"For what reason were you prohibited from participating in the tournaments of this world you invaded?" Azusa asks, he is fed up of beating around the bush and trying to 'play nice'. Right now the emperor wants answers. He wants answers on what this menace has been doing for the last few decades and he wants them now.

"I was bad for business." Nonchalantly, Vegeta crosses his arms. A physical itching has taken over his body. He needs to train, he must train, if he cannot train then he will never restore the lost honour to his family. Vegeta aches for the feeling of enhanced gravity, for his muscles and bones nearly snapping under pressure, he craves physical exertion and needs to get his fix soon. However he can't train till Washu gets around to rebuilding his training room and there is no guarantee that will be done quickly. For the time being, he uses his mental discipline that was dealing with his broiling rage to also deal with this personal addiction of his.

"Vegeta, tell the truth. You destroyed half the stadium and some of the city. Killing hundreds, if not thousands." Vegeta's head turns to his adversary and many none too pleasant thoughts pass through his mind, Goku could never leave well enough alone when it came to the death of innocents. Vegeta sighs and absently scratches his nose, that was a day he did some things he has come to regret. It took him months before Bulma would fully forgive him for his actions, he had done much worse and his wife knew but for her it was the betrayal of signing himself over to his evil ways and allowing the dark side of him to rule once again. He always had to work hard to keep his marriage alive, both of them did, but it was always worth it in the end. He wonders how long it will take for that hole in his heart to heal, how many seasons must pass before the pain of her death eases up on his soul.

"That I did. The first shot though I was sure you'd block, not dodge out of the way like a coward and allow those plebeians to die. Your seven years away changed you Kakarot. … The second shot I have no excuse for. You could say it was for old times' sake, to see if I still had that edge, that ability to cut down people like wheat in a field." Fingers curl and flex, knuckles crack as Vegeta inspects the scrapes and scars marring his free hand. Each abrasion holding a memory. Ayeka's grip on his hand tightens. She watches her father's reaction to these callous words, his visage twisting in blinding wrath. Misaki's strength is put to use as she holds back her husband single-handedly, her job is to protect him and right now she is protecting him from himself.

"Y-You foul, abhorrent devil! Death follows you like a mangy mongrel on a leash and you revel in every sick minute of it. Villain! By Tsunami's justice you should be rotting, no, festering in a ditch whilst maggots feast on your plagued flesh. All Saiyan vermin should be exterminated before your warmongering habits cause the end of us all. I bet you keep my daughters alive only so that when the time comes for you to kill them you hurt them just that little bit more by betraying their misplaced trust in you, I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

"Father, please -" Ayeka and Sasami shy away from their enraged father as their mother strains to stop him rushing into the certain doom awaiting him if he challenges Vegeta. The Saiyan prince breathes deeply and takes a long inhalation, smelling the scene and all of its players, and takes several steps away from the group to the lake's edge. Feeling distanced enough, he swallows something he has done only a few times. He swallows his undying pride and his eye's take to piercing his most worthy foe.

"Kakarot, stop standing over there like a gormless trout catching flies. I have an order for you clown. I-I-I need you to … to hold me back." Ryoko would not care if he murdered another, least of all a Juraian, for she herself has felt and been responsible for a life's ending. However, he has more to consider than her. Ayeka and Sasami are innocents to the brutality life sometimes forces people to do, he will not put them through a needless tragedy. For them and the sake of not starting an intergalactic incident he does the unthinkable and makes a request for Goku to overpower him.

"You promise you won't try to attack me?" The two Saiyans share a short lived smile between themselves. Ayeka looks on at the prince seeing the effort it is taking him to allow himself to do this, a bead of sweat rolling off his frowned brow. Meanwhile in the background, Washu slinks off and drags Yamcha with her under the pretence of fixing the training room. Inside the house she takes one look at it and instead goes into her lab to draw up some concept designs and blueprints, Yamcha can keep her company as she spit balls ideas and improvements. Yamcha just wonders where Puar has gotten to, or more precisely where Washu has him kept under lock and key.

"Where's the fun in that? You are the only one here capable of stopping me, damn it. If I fail I give you permission to step in and prevent this emperor's untimely demise. I have little faith his slander will not provoke me towards violence, do what you must to stop me bereaving these girls of a proud yet foolish father." Vegeta closes his eyes. He stands stock still with his arms crossed as Goku walks up behind him. Azusa tries to shrug off his second wife's hold on him when his first wife, Funaho, goes up to Sasami and escorts her away, holding the child's hands she walks trying to take the young girl's mind off these adult matters.

With no one stood in between them, Azusa turns his attention to his eldest daughter. Left on her own, with Sasami gone and Vegeta taking himself out of the picture, she has no one to speak for her or take the brunt of the emperor's stirred up anger. He wastes no time in spouting his opinion on what she has been doing. It takes a surprising amount of time until Goku's arms get Vegeta in a chokehold, coinciding with when Ayeka's lips started to tremble. Both Saiyans know of multiple ways to escape from grapples and how to prevent people escaping from their own so they stay at an impasse with their power raising against the other, Azusa doesn't even notice the effects of the two most powerful beings powering up gradually as he vents his frustration and disapproval on Ayeka's decisions.

Azusa does not let up. She cannot or dare not get a word in edgeways. Silently, she stands trembling under the mountain of her father's protective anger crashing down on her. He speaks bluntly and indelicately about her abandonment of Jurai and of her family of which she still feels guilty about and her involvement of Sasami in her own sordid affairs. He continues his tirade about her soiling herself by staying with the scum of the universe, her being dirtied by the filth of bloodthirsty savages, her innocence defiled by murderers. Azusa does not accept her staying in the same house as a man and without a chaperone's supervision, he insults her for it. During his castigation of her, Misaki's voice can barely be made out over his booming and dominating roar. She tries to stick up for the freedom of her daughter but in the end he is not listening to her or to anyone else.

"HEY! If we prove Ayeka is still a pure hearted and innocent girl or whatnot will you shut the fuck up?" Following a swift head butt, several elbows to the kidneys and a savage bite to Goku's hand, Vegeta frees up his airways and mouth to thunder at the emperor. With a touch of death hidden in his pupils, Vegeta quickly stops moving so he can be subdued again.

"What are you drivelling on about?!" Azusa's verbal assault on his daughter ceases, his head snaps to the other man being refrained from moving.

"Ugh, what Vegeta was trying to say was that my flying nimbus has the ability to show whether Ayeka has … umm is-is still pure of heart and y'know." As Vegeta continues to attempt to release himself from the imprisonment he ordered, Goku explains what he thinks he was referring to. For a split second he went to point towards the cloud hovering in the background and had to think fast as Vegeta seizes this opportunity and almost breaks free, only for Goku's larger size and physical strength that comes with it was he able to contain the situation.

"The flying nimbus isn't just an ordinary cloud, y'see it allows those who are good and righteous to ride and fly upon it so if Ayeka were to get on it and not fall through it then wouldn't that be proof that staying here hasn't made her a bad person. It worked for Sasami so why not?"

"A cloud. You're an imbecile. The day I believe a cloud over the evidence before me is the day Kirito gets harvested for lumber! All I need to do is look and I can see how he has twisted my own flesh and blood against my will, 'Loose hair makes for a loose woman' as they say in the courts of Jurai." Azusa points a hairy digit towards his daughter. She freezes like a hare in the headlights as her shaking hands held before her mouth drop to the long, unadorned locks flowing to her heels.

"Ahem. What was that my darling Azusa?" Funaho heard. She lets go of Sasami's hand and turns back to face her husband. With eyes of glacial coldness and a sinister smile0020she waits for Azusa to slowly rotate his head around to see worry crawl over his face. Her black hair is neither tied back nor pinned up. " My ears must be playing tricks on me. I swear I just heard a fool say something very, very stupid, if so I might have to inform Lady Seto of this idiot's ineptitude."

"Wait! N-n-n-no-no-no, i-it's uh just some silly saying that those of house Amurgh spout, really no one listens to them or their nonsense. I jest by using their words, really just a joke that's all."

"Now it seems that I hear an idiot floundering about like a fish out of water, I really should get around to cleaning out my ears less this problem continue … . Well? I'm waiting Azusa."

Azusa apologises, he apologises again and tries to take back those rash words he said to no avail. Funaho keeps up the cold shoulder she is giving him and keeping that threat of Seto hanging there ominously. Ayeka is graced with a period of respite where Azusa forgets about his ire, a strong warm breeze blows her hair into her face which she carefully brushes out of her eyes as she tries to muster up some courage to face him.

"Who's this Seto woman?" The gravelly voice of Vegeta sounds from directly behind her.

"V-Vegeta, how did you - " Startled, she turns and sees the answer to her half voiced question. In the direction that the wind came from is a Saiyan in a heap on the floor, mute screams of pain getting through his gritted teeth as he clutches at where he was suddenly and unexpectedly stricken by some extreme flexibility on Vegeta's part. The Saiyan prince laughs gruffly at the low class warrior rolling in the dirt with an incredibly sore set of family jewels. " Lord Vegeta, Lady Seto is my maternal grandmother, she is someone not even my f-father dare to defy. He might hold the title of Emperor but she is the one who truly can do anything she wishes; grown men fear her, she can ruin entire corporations with one word and her mere presence at councils has ended century long disputes in seconds."

Vegeta nods at this information and pats Ayeka reassuringly on the back, he says it will all be Ok and he is there to stand up for whatever course she chooses to be best. She is thankful for those words but could have done without the pat that nearly drove all breath from her body. With Funaho beginning to tap her feet impatiently and with her hands on her hips, Azusa acquiesces. He turns back to his daughter, gets slightly taken aback by the sudden change of where Vegeta is, and says he will allow her to undergo the test of the flying nimbus. A hand raises and clicks to summon the cloud in his possession, then quickly goes back to his wounded privates. For some reason Vegeta seems a lot happier all of a sudden and has a much lower tendency towards hitting Azusa out of existence now, he has wanted to do that since before Trunks was born and it has lived up to his expectations magnificently.

Azusa's stern gaze stays upon Ayeka as she looks towards the yellow gas ball gently bobbing towards her. It comes to a rest at waist level in front of her. Vegeta steps forward and walks directly through the cloud, showing it has no solidity when he is in its presence, and waits in the side lines by his house for Ayeka to prove herself. He has confidence in her being able to pass this simple but effective method and a joyful smile is gracing his face as he sees Goku barely managing to get on his hands and knees. If Goku was planning on having any more kids with Chichi he might have just lost the opportunity, unless he consumes a Senzu bean of course.

The moment of truth has come.

The regal princess takes one step towards the nimbus and prods at it warily, she is not too sure about this. It seems incredibly insubstantial to hold her own modest weight. She is left with no choice however, this is the one path left open to her to redeem herself to her father. Her hand meets some slight resistance upon touching the cloud, not enough though to leave her brimming with confidence but as she looks at her dad she knows she cannot back down now. She turns her back to the cloud and lowers herself carefully down upon it. Treating it like Washu's hovering cushion, she sits down on it and it supports her, albeit after one moment of blind panic when she thought she was sinking through it but she wasn't.

Ayeka turns and smiles at Vegeta who smiles back, mainly because he is still grinning about the solid kick he delivered making the mighty Goku drop like a sack of spuds. Reluctantly, it appears as if Azusa is agreeing with this most unusual form of trial. Watching his daughter sit side-saddle upon the flying nimbus should prove her innocence, as long as he believes the Saiyans are telling the truth about this curious form of suspended water droplets - which he has to due to his ill chosen words and Funaho. Stroking his long beard as he thinks about what to say, Azusa is about to open his mouth when someone strikes.

Fed up of being ignored, of Ayeka being the centre of attention, of his attention, she makes her move. In one fell and dastardly swoop she undoes all of their hard work to make Azusa less of an erupting volcano, Ryoko couldn't care less about the consequences. She teleports next to Vegeta, transferring the two objects in her hand to her 'tail' to hold. He glances at her and then immediately back to the princess mounted on the cloud, if he but kept his eyes on her it all could have been avoided. She then creeps her hand slowly about whilst supressing her ki signature and readies her fingers. One pinch. That was all it took, her pinching Vegeta's derriere and the whole thing goes to complete and utter shambles.

As Vegeta turns to scold and question her on what she thinks she is doing she stretches her arms around him in a big hug and also jumps up and wraps her legs around him. He is confused, the Saiyan does not know why she is doing this now of all times or places and says in a roundabout way it would be best if she got off him. She shakes her head cheekily and hears a thud behind her as she moves her head closer to his, an evil grin spreads from ear to ear on the rogue's face. Watching her prince get sexually harassed by the stray vagabond made some emotions run rampant in the princess' head. These feelings of anger, envy and hatred were the reason for her literal downfall. The flying nimbus continues to hover there as it let her seep through it due to these feelings it deems of an 'impure' quality. Thus Ryoko's cunning plan worked and Ayeka lands on the grass with a look of undiluted terror.

"So … the truth is out. I-I thought as much. … Ayeka, get on Kirito now." Rubbing at his temples, Azusa doesn't look at his daughter, instead his aristocratic eyes face the dirt on the floor. Giggles emanate from Ryoko whilst Vegeta tries phasing to get out of her grasp as she phases as well, cancelling out his ability to pass through her. That is the last time he underestimates her ability as a pirate, simplistic efficiency at its best and even he did not suspect a thing. The ramifications of Ryoko's ploy leave Ayeka stuttering and stumbling over any word she could say, Sasami and her mother look on in shock. Misaki whispers her child's name and lets go of her husband to go to her. Crouching down beside Ayeka frozen where she fell, Misaki tries to comfort her as Azusa turns his back and begins walking back towards the belly of his magnificent spaceship.

"Come. We are leaving now, stop dillydallying around and stand up." Azusa stops and partially turns his head back to his wife and daughter but he doesn't make eye contact. Neither woman stands up. Funaho holds her head in her hands and sighs and Vegeta manages to wrestle off Ryoko in a way that will not harm her.

"B-b-bu-but f-f-father … I I-I don't … don't want to …"

"Shut up Ayeka, we are leaving now. Leave your things, there are plenty of spares in the palace. Sasami, Funaho come on, let's not spend anymore time in this wretched hive of scum and villainy." He continues on his way, not stopping to see if they are catching up or not. The regiments awkwardly watch and wait for orders from their superiors, none of them signed up to watch some family argument. Yosho stands blocking the way of his father, the emperor. Stood in a simple white kimono and grey hakama, the prince doesn't move. He's been through this song and dance before so he allowed the others to have their turn as he believes it would be best for Ayeka to return home but secretly he didn't interfere out of guilt. His sister trusted him with this secret but he betrayed her by telling Misaki where she was, he just couldn't say no to her after seeing the state of sadness she was in when she was worrying about her children.

"Father, I think if you don't want to be out on your ear I suggest you don't go any further. Mother still seems upset with you and Lady Seto is -"

"I don't give a damn about that haughty bitch Seto! Get out of the way now or I'll teach you some discipline for obstructing your father. I said move!" Yosho stands there for a couple of seconds more, watching through his calm, hazel eyes, before stepping to the side, shaking his head to himself. Azusa marches until he is directly underneath the Juraian ship's transport beam and turns to see his family stood exactly where he left them but with Misaki tenderly helping Ayeka up to her feet. Vegeta strides away from Ryoko and offers his hand. Goku reluctantly takes it and stands as if he had been riding a horse bareback for a full day, their hands stay clasped as they tense their massive biceps.

Even from a distance, Ayeka is still quaking in her boots from Azusa's cold and stern glare. She has the support of her mother with her, but still she doesn't feel as safe as she would do if Vegeta were by her side. But he is stood by the lake, not even looking at her, just arm wrestling with a man he hates. An arm wrestle that neither wants to lose, their competitiveness getting the better of them as they lock their other arms in an arm wrestle too. Both stood up, their feet embedding in the floor and straining to inch their way to victory.

"F-father, p-please just l-l-let me -"

"What? Let you explain? Let you stay? Don't be ridiculous you silly girl. If you want to talk you can start by telling me why that nimbus dropped you … and the reason better be good." Ayeka's voice may be faint and quiet but it is still loud enough for Azusa to hear and reply to in his no-nonsense tone. The princess' lips start to tremble as she tries to form an answer, nothing comes to mind as to how she could explain why the flying nimbus damned her as the truth would certainly not help her. Her eyes dart about, beseeching anyone for aid.

"I thought as much, you have no lies to get you out of this. You walk the path of a princess of Jurai no longer , you keep company with the vilest thing alive of your own choosing and will in this den of iniquity, you force sweet Sasami away from her loving mother's side out of selfishness and you would rather watch our empire crumble and burn than do your duty to our people. … " Azusa is in full stride now, his anger unabated as rational thought and judgement leaves his mind. Veins throb on his curled fists and forehead as he snarls out these words. As he tears into her, insulting her integrity and her womanhood further still, Vegeta looks away from Goku and begins to push harder and harder still. He is channelling his displeasure at Azusa into raw power, making the lakeside floor begin to quake beneath both Saiyans' footwear.

Ayeka begins to crack as her whole body begins to shake – not due to the Saiyan feud. Despite her mother's comforting embrace her vision clouds as her eyes glisten with saline moisture. Soothing coos usher from Misaki instinctively but it does not cease Ayeka's distress or the cause of it. On the other hand, Ryoko is enjoying this far too much. Sniggering away in the background she cannot contain her great mirth at this spectacle, watching the princess openly weep as the onslaught continues. Faint sparks begin to show around Goku and Vegeta, dancing their way over the turf and agitated water.

"Henceforth, I do not acknowledge your right to the crown. You are not my daughter, get out of my sight you disgraceful courtesan. Begone!" Misaki and Funaho stand paralysed with shock, never in a million years did they think he would take things to such a degree. As one, the two wives plead back for Azusa to take back those harmful words, to rethink his decision. He turns his back on them, he has spoken and his word is final. Tears stream and roll down Ayeka's face freely, her knees begin to buckle but before they can she looks back to Vegeta to see both Saiyans have vanished. She tears away from her mother and flees back into the house, crying her eyes out as she slams the door behind her.

Walls of fire and sound erupt all across the mountain ranges sheltering the lake, trees get stripped of leaves and bark by unseen gales and through it all two beacons of light can barely be seen flickering in and out of existence randomly over the landscape. With all this explosive commotion going on no one hears two small feet stomping on the floor and running off to follow her sister. All they hear as Sasami goes off bleary eyed by herself is her declaration that she hates her father. Misaki looks about lost and heartbroken at the sight of her two children shedding tears. She fixes Azusa with one last wrath fuelled, petrifying glare of loathing as she turns to enter this house her daughters are staying in … and yelps in fright as two men go skidding across the lawn in front of her.

Separating from one another, Vegeta and Goku get up out of the channel they created. Neither is breathing hard or fast, neither is tired from that small warm-up bout they did but both have a line of red running down one of their cheeks. At the moment Azusa spoke those words, Vegeta went for Goku again, trying to aim for his weak spot for a second time. Goku anticipated this and crossed his legs defensively in the air. This lost him his traction on the ground and so allowed Vegeta to follow up with a hammer throw in to the air and the rest was at a blazing supersonic speed, which no one else could decipher or tell was taking place. Picking a wad of crispy grass out of his hair, Vegeta offhandedly tells Misaki to go to her daughters and where their room is within his house. Goku jokingly says to Vegeta he could do with going inside to have a sleep as he was quite sloppy and slow in that brief skirmish. Vegeta says nothing to him on the matter and ignores the Saiyan of lower class.

With a long tail of cerulean disappearing into his house, one of magenta leaves accompanied with the midnight mane of the wolf warrior. For now Washu is done designing and planning, there's only so much she can before she has to wait for her laboratory to manufacture the many intricate parts this new training room will require. It is by no means her best work, she completed it in a matter of minutes, but she feels it will exceed all of Vegeta's expectations and give him a few little surprises. Anyway it seems like if she spent any longer cooped up inside she'd miss all the fun outside. That warm, fuzzy feeling Vegeta earned through subjecting Goku to acute pain has long since dispersed, right now he feels like dealing that same exact blow to another individual.

Out of all this mess, the one gaily smiling person floats merrily and lazily over to Vegeta. Messing about with the poppy that has come loose in her hair, she hovers in the air before him until he unenthusiastically uncrosses his arms to give her a comfy place to land. Ryoko snuggles in close as she gently lowers into his waiting arms, resting a hand on his chest as she looks up at him. She feels the pent up energy coursing through his veins, the slow pounding of his heat and once again his lack of attention towards her even though she is in his arms.

"Azusa. I do not think Lady Ayeka is getting back on Kirito with you, can't say I blame her. Unfortunately for you, my temper wanes as does your welcome on my planet. You've been talking so much about my past but if you don't want to see that side of me make a comeback then I suggest Kirito is where you go and cower. Juraians could never succeed over Saiyans once we engaged you in proper combat, I will never understand how a weak and feeble race such as your own ever came to such power. Maybe it was Tsunami, who knows." Vegeta wickedly grins as his eyes narrow. As do Azusa's. Funaho will leave the boys to act their childish selves, all she has to do is give it time for she has faith that Vegeta of all men has the capacity to make Azusa amend those terrible and hurtful words he recklessly said. The space pirate in the Saiyan's arms though is oddly enticed and exhilarated by this potentially dangerous side of Vegeta, with those cold, hard, black pupils hiding a very plausible threat in their usually mysterious depths. She places the stuffed animal and hilt her fashion appendage was holding by Vegeta's scuffed white boots.

" I might not kill you but there are plenty of other ways I can make you repent for your mistake, penance is a costly - … As pleasing as that is Ryoko, now is not the time. You have less self control than an Oozaru, refrain yourself please." Halfway through his sentence Ryoko hooks her 'tail' under Vegeta's legs and begins to tickle and tease the scarred and shrivelled stump where the Saiyan's tail once resided. She playfully shakes her head at his request and starts lightly stroking at the patches of skin revealed in the tears and worn out patches in his training gi.

"You think I'm afraid of some disgusting animal like you? Brute strength will only get you so far, Saiyan. I take it this strumpet with you, Ryoko, is that thief and pirate of the same name. A ronin and his whore, two miscreants for the price of one. Guards! I want these two criminal's heads mounted on pikes outside the palace gates! Kill them." Barking his commands to the battalion of highly trained Juraian honour guards, Azusa reaches for his own sword to look about in surprise to see it not secured on his belt. Three scores of Juraian men and women armed with glaives and naginatas charge across the short expanse of land separating them from the two wanted fugitives. Hardened leather sabatons churn up the grass as they lower their weapons, Vegeta effortlessly moves Ryoko over onto one of his hands and lifts her high above his head.

"Hey! Whaddya think you're doing, this is no way to treat a lady." Ryoko protests as he angles his arm backwards. Looking up at her he simply says that she helped to create this mess so she will help fix it, of course she doesn't agree with this so he bribes her with this being a very good opportunity for her impress him with the new skills and abilities she got from training. Given a chance to show off in front of him and shift the uncomfortable weight of the blame he is placing upon her is one she is going to take, never mind she also gets to have a little fun playing with Juraians as well. She asks him one thing before the battle commences and nonchalantly he agrees, kicking up the emperor of Jurai's sword into her hands.

Vegeta tosses Ryoko like a javelin into the midst of the approaching armed contingent, he leaves her with one last comment for her not to fatally wound any as she somersaults in the air and plants her foot clean through the protective visor of one unfortunate guard. All the Juraians around her quickly turn to point their staves at her. As the guards she stands on collapses to the ground so do they, having teleported to the rear of the ring of guards and hamstringing them with this large blue sword she has as a new toy. With a chuckle she fades into the ground, not all of them fall for the trap and follow her misleading movements with their eyes as some scan all around them warily. Sapphire rays drift towards them as she waves in a carefree way in their direction from above the lake. Lances reform their spiky phalanx aimed at the flying woman. One incredibly large and built senior in the guards fancies his chances and hurls his spear at her just for it to pass through her abdomen and splash into the water. Ryoko tuts at this aggression as she raises a hand and throws her own red energy weapon back down at him, the concussive blast only manages to knock a few of them unconscious but in the confusion the rest are easy pickings for her.

Three score of the best Juraian warriors entered the fray and three score Juraians now litter the lakeside, most bleeding, some unable to move, others knocked out cold but none given any life threatening wounds. Spinning Azusa's two handed sword in her tail, she flies on back to Vegeta smiling as he gives her a thumbs up at her easy victory. Ryoko twirls around Vegeta's trunk like neck hugging him as she grins and cheekily sticks her tongue out at the aghast emperor surveying her handiwork. The only Juraian unimpressed was Yosho, those bodyguards let their guard down because they underestimated their opponent, a mistake he shall not do again against anyone he meets on this planet. Force is not something to be used to take down Vegeta, unless that force is equal to that of a God or some death ray that could eradicate a whole galaxy – which Washu has stored someplace in her lab.

Yamcha nudges Washu and asks whether he should start transporting the wounded into her lab so she can heal them, coldly she replies that Jurai does not have free healthcare and to leave them be. Her emerald eyes at the minute are having a little staring competition with the chestnut eyes of the queen of Jurai. The posturing and strutting of these two proud men locking horns is of no interest to her, she has researched many incidents like these and in the end the one with the bigger horns wins, e.g. Vegeta. Brushing a lock of pink hair behind her shoulder, she curiously asks Yamcha how much power Ryoko was using then in relation to her maximum. He shrugs and says between a quarter and a third though he isn't too sure as he has never sensed her true upper limit for power, Washu makes a mental note and then smilingly inquires how many times stronger he is to Ryoko.

"Heads decorating pikes, how unimaginative … You done with your little tantrum yet? Can I just clear up that if your main fatherly concern over your daughter is whether she is still a maiden or not you need not worry. She is untouched by me in that way, as you seem so familiar with my record then you should also recall none of my crimes are of that nature. The nimbus reacted to her dislike of Ryoko … Us Saiyans work on a timescale for base thoughts and desires, until our mating season begins even I am a saints concerning that department." Ryoko susurrates soft purrs from her throat, her ears pricked up and her 'tail' wafting side to side, she likes what she hears. The mention of a time when Vegeta will act more like most other men has perked her up immensely, that is a time she is guaranteed to get what she desires.

Goku nods as Vegeta says this, unlike most humanoid species Saiyan women did not have the ability to procreate all year round. Due to the in-hospitability of their original homeworld they were driven from by the destructive nature of the original super Saiyan, only during the Summer months could the mothers access an abundance of food necessary for sating their appetite and that of their unborn child. Saiyan pregnancies were short and their new-borns normally had to survive the harsh winters, which just meant natural selection made only the strong survive. As Saiyan females were infertile for most of the year, the males developed much lower sex drive that only activated when the women were in heat. Unfortunately, when the disaster of the first super Saiyan began and their population radically dropped this, and the fact Saiyans only gave birth to one young, meant even a thousand years later when they discovered Planet Plant and made it their own they had not recovered properly. That evolutionary trait is with those still alive with Saiyan blood, but over the millennia and generations the gap between seasons is shrinking ever so slightly. Back on whatever planet they originated from it was once a year – with a year on that planet being around half that of Earth's - here it is every 143 days. In his service to Frieza this bestial trait normally got Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz ridiculed, most sapient species always saw them as lesser beings for their animalistic nature and appearance.

Azusa says nothing to the Saiyan prince, he has little reason to believe a murderer . The emperor is left unguarded and vulnerable, he may be at the mercy of people he has no chance of victory against but that gives him no inclination to back down. Throughout his reign he never backed down to an opponent. Through sheer mule headedness he assured himself victory time after time in the courts, political wars of attrition till the lesser nobles could not take anymore. Even though he just disowned his daughter he will not abandon her here with this man, yet he sees no method that will work. For the time being he will wait to see what paths lay open for him.

As the two men of separate royal families stand there, watching and waiting for the other to make a move, it is Funaho who decides to take action. Not lowering herself to the level these stubborn men are on, she goes to tackle a different issue as she strolls peacefully between Vegeta and Azusa towards Washu. The scientist links her arms with Yamcha and leisurely walks to meet Funaho, not making a fool of himself this time Yamcha just politely bows his head to this woman who exudes an air of dignified regality. Washu, once again, just waves casually with a knowing smile on her face. Misaki has her job as Supreme Commander of the guard forces and Funaho has her own, she is head of Intelligence for Jurai and so this normally leads her to Washu. Although she has not come to ask the genius about espionage or such, but a much more pressing bit of research she has been assigned.

In a demure tone Funaho inquires to Washu about the progress she has made on this very important yet highly classified research. Spawning her phantom laptop, Washu makes a few rapid fire clicks and clacks just to check over a few things, nothing to do with what she is being asked about as she knows that but she wants to see how the parts for the training room are coming along. With a dismissive swipe the laptop vanishes back again into its sub dimension.

"Well I might've hit a few snags here and there, not the easiest thing to do really but I am the number one scientific genius in the universe so it was ultimately no problem. Progress is going well, slow but well. I won't bore you with the details or technicalities but needless to say you could still make my job a helluva lot easier if you just gave me access to those files. Let me see what is written in that tome and you will have free access to light hawk wings by sundown."


End file.
